To Be Cursed
by BrokenSouledPoetess
Summary: What happens when one is cursed by someone close to them and only someone they have long disliked can break it?
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** To Be Cursed  
**Author:** BrokenSouledPoetess  
**Summary:** What happens when one is cursed by someone close to them and only someone they have long disliked can break it?  
**Rating:** NC-17 for future lemons and any possible graphic content.  
**Pairing(s):** Kagome/Sesshoumaru  
**Feedback:** Required for updates.   
**Characters:** The typical cast of characters from Inuyasha.   
**Author's notes:** Yes, I know. I have plenty of other stories that need updating and completing but this damned plot bunny wouldn't leave me be.  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own or profit from Inuyasha. This disclaimer serves to blanket the entirety of this story.

The weary group of Shard Hunters were just settling into a nice clearing – near a hot spring of course – for the night when Kagome sensed jewel shards, coming fast. She was just about to notify the group when she felt the tell-tale youki of Kouga. Sure that Inuyasha was already aware of the ookami prince, the miko kept her mouth shut and went about making camp. A fire had already been started and just as she was walking to her backpack to rifle through her belongings and retrieve her bathing items, a whirlwind swept through the camp, dust and debris filling the air.

Kagome had been stopped mid-trek to her pack when strong hands grasped hers and held them tightly to a firm chest. Tilting her head back to regard the wolf, Kagome smiled brightly and asked, "What brings you here Kouga? Are we on your territory?"

The handsome prince of the wolf demon tribe grinned down at her, a fang peeking out over his lower lip and his blue eyes twinkling. "Do I need a reason to visit my woman? And no, you aren't on my territory. I have been out scouting around for hints of Naraku and since I caught your sweet scent on the air, I figured I would come by and see how you were doing."

Although he was rather dense when it came to the fact that she only liked him as a friend, Kouga truly was a sweet guy and Kagome couldn't help but smile at him. Sometimes, she wished she could love him the way she loved Inuyasha; even if just for the fact that she knew Kouga held some feelings for her and never shied away from declaring them at every opportunity. At times, she had wondered if he did it just to irritate the half-demon but after he had done the same thing without the dog present, she knew it was just how he was.

Before the young miko even had a chance to reply, her hands were torn free from Kouga's and a snarling Inuyasha jumped between the two, pushing Kagome behind him, ignorant of the look of anger that crossed her face at his rough handling and childish antics. "Back off ya mangy wolf! Kagome ain't your woman!" The inu hanyou growled and tightened his grip on the Tetsusaiga.

"I suppose she is yours then, Mutt Face?" Kouga snorted, well aware that Kagome still remained unmated and unmarked. The Prince of the Wolf Demon clan did in fact love Kagome and although he knew she only loved him as a friend – for the time being only, if he had anything to say about it – he couldn't resist irritating the half-demon.

At the callous reply of "Of course she isn't! She's my shard detector and you keep your paws off her!" Kouga peered over the hanyou's shoulder at Kagome and plainly saw the hurt play across the priestess's eyes. Now, he felt guilty. He hadn't been trying to hurt Kagome, only fuck with Inuyasha; now that he knew that subject hit a nerve with her, he would leave it alone. "Whatever you say Dog-Boy. Kagome deserves better than you anyway."

That said he disappeared from Inuyasha's line of site, only to reappear behind him and trap Kagome's hands in his once more. "Take care, my Kagome. Next time I see you, I will bring Naraku's head on a platter." And he was gone in a whirlwind of dust.

"Why that no-good, flea-bitten wolf! Why does he even bother sniffing around here anyway! If he is looking for a powerful mate, the bastard should be off chasing Kikyou or some demoness, not Kagome." Inuyasha groused. Once more he was unaware of how his words hurt the young miko, and leaped from the ground to land in a tree close by the campsite. "Hurry up with the food, will ya? I'm starving here!"

"Inuyasha, osuwari!" Kagome spat at her dog-eared companion. How could he be such a jerk all the time? Was she really so horrible? Kagome had been spending massive amounts of time training with Kaede to control her powers and even Miroku had helped teach her how to cast ofudas and spells and her miko powers had grown and developed quite nicely, though a lot of it was due to her own work.

Kagome had learned all she could about the uses of her powers for healing and purification from the elder miko and knew that there was far more that she could do. After Miroku too had exhausted his reservoir of information that would aid her, she had started spending an hour every night after they made camp to meditate. On her nightly visits to a quiet area away from the rest, Kagome had learned how to center her energy in her core and focus it to her hands. From there, she learned how to better control the amount of ki she poured into her spirit arrows and had much more success with them.

She had even figured out how to throw up a barrier without the use of ofudas or incantations, which proved to be extremely useful. It was rather difficult to concentrate on a specific spell when in the heat of battle. Her friends had yet to know about this most recent development simply because Kagome didn't have it finely tuned enough to use in battle without fail and didn't want to risk her friends counting on her for it. Sango had also taken up the job of training her in the art of swordplay; after all, she wouldn't always be able to count on being able to stay outside the fray and would more than likely end up in melee range. The two got up an hour before sunrise to practice every day that she was in the Feudal Era and she kept up her lessons even during her time at home.

With all that she had accomplished in the past six months, Kagome had thought she had proved herself to be of importance; that she was neither worthless nor weak. Yet, Inuyasha still compared her to Kikyou and even demonesses! Honestly, how much downgrading can one person take? Every time Kouga was in the picture, Inuyasha would act as though she were his property only to crush her spirit underfoot by another heartless comment on her worth. He had even had fits over Hojou and Kagome saw him very little. She was her own person and would never be a possession. Not that she would mind belonging to someone; on the contrary, she really wanted to belong to someone, to somewhere.

Time had passed, as it is wont to do, since Kagome had first met and fallen in love with Inuyasha and it seemed as though with every second lost, she fell out of love with him a little more. She could no longer say with confidence – even if in her own heart – that she would like to belong to Inuyasha. Besides, he wanted Kikyou; the original miko.

This brings us back to the current situation: Inuyasha once more in a self-made crater and a softly crying Kagome lying in her sleeping bag. She had forgone making supper and truly didn't care if she ate or not at the moment. Sango had taken up where she left off, with Miroku helping her, and Shippou was sitting next to Kagome, lightly running his fingers through her bangs. She hadn't even made it to the hot springs nor done her evening ritual of meditation.

Kagome awoke with a start several hours later. She had slipped into a fitful sleep at the gentle hands of her adopted son and the time spent in slumber's arms did little to restore her energy. The entire time she had heard Inuyasha's harsh words repeating in her mind and images of he and Kikyou together had been her only imagery. Dragging one small hand across her eyes to scrub away the gritty feeling of restless sleep, Kagome peered around the camp at her friends.

Sango and Miroku were on the opposite side of the slowly dying fire lying close to one another, Kirara was nestled close to Sango with her twin tails across her nose and Shippou was curled up next to her in her sleeping bag. Turning sapphire eyes to the tree tops, Kagome found that Inuyasha was not present. As she continued to scan the area with now wide eyes, Kagome saw the eerie silver glow of soul stealers over the trees a good distance from camp.

Gingerly lifting Shippou from his place against her side and placing him in the warm spot she had inhabited, Kagome stood and tip-toed to her backpack, withdrawing her bathing necessities. Once her various soaps and hair products, along with a fluffy towel, pajamas and her bow and arrows, were secured in her arms, she turned from her companions and made her way to the nearby hot springs.

Her first smile since seeing Kouga earlier in the day graced her soft lips when she arrived at her destination. Truly, she did love this era. The beauty was unprecedented and with the passing years, Kagome had been finding it harder and harder to see her future in her own time. She loved her family dearly but she wasn't sure she could leave behind the past she had been pulled into either. The miko desperately hoped that once their quest came to an end, she would be able to continue traveling between times; it would be nearly impossible to pick one era to stay in.

The hot spring that was near their camp was one of the most beautiful she had come across in all her travels. The spring itself wasn't overly large but the waters were crystal clear and the welcoming scent of minerals and sulfur wafted from the surface in large billows of steam. The shrubbery around the area was dense and lush, closing off the spring to the outside world and rocks and boulders seemed to have been strategically placed around the edge and towards the middle of the pool of water.

Wasting no more time on observing the natural beauty of her bathing place, Kagome skipped to the edge of the water, placed her belongings within arms reach and stripped off her dirty, sweaty clothes. It was summer in the Sengoku Jidai and the season had proved to be hellish. The daylight hours were riddled with intense heat and suffocating humidity and Kagome found the way the weather made her clothes stick to her skin most distasteful. In fact, she had told Inuyasha that while it was such unbearably oppressive weather, they would make camp at any point in time if water was present.

Surprisingly, he had agreed after only a few 'sits'.

Not bothering to test the temperature of the water, Kagome slid fully into the welcoming warmth and grabbed up her body wash and loofah. Once she had scrubbed the sweat and grime from her skin, she began the tiresome ritual of washing and conditioning her long locks. When her journey to the past first started some five years ago, her ebony hair had been only to the middle of her back. Now, the dark strands reached well past her backside and although they were heavy in the heat and a mess to work through when tangled, she couldn't bring herself to cut it.

Once her hair was squeaky clean and shining from her attention, she pinned it to her head with a few hair clips and settled against a rock in the center of the spring to relax and think. She was already planning to have a good session of meditation once her cleansing ritual was done and knew she had to think through the things that were bothering her now, before they could disrupt her.

'_Why do I let every little thing he says bother me so much? I know he will always love Kikyou and that I will always pale in comparison to her, regardless of whether or not I am more powerful than she. I don't love him as much as I used to but still enough that he hurts me. Damnit all! I just want to be loved!'_

After spitting a few more choice words at Inuyasha in her mind, Kagome found that she felt somewhat better and entertained the notion that the burden on her heart could possibly lift entirely if only she would make said words vocal. Shaking her head against the tempting idea, she scrubbed her dirty clothes clean and rose from the steamy heaven she had been immersed in to towel dry before getting dressed in a soft pair of dark blue sleeping shorts and a tank top of the same color.

Having laid her now wet, but clean, clothing against a rock, Kagome sat down against the same rock and pulled her legs into the lotus position. Pale eyelids slid closed over deep sapphire eyes and Kagome's breathing slowed considerably. Clearing her mind of errant thoughts, the miko focused her attention on the core of power within her and was soon glowing a soft blue color, completely lost in her state of torpor. She went through her basic exercises, pulling her energy forth from her soul to engulf her hands and form her barrier.

An hour had passed around the in-trance miko and just as Kagome was pulling herself back to full awareness, she heard her name being spoken. The voice was deep and soothing and not at all frightening, even if the idea that someone seemed to be speaking to her in her mind was. Since she wasn't sure what to do, she simply remained in her trance and kept silent. Again the voice called to her, telling her to open her eyes. Whether it was the surprise at such a demand or her actual obedience to the unknown voice, her eyes flew open and landed on a shimmering, translucent form not three feet from where she sat.


	2. Chapter 2

Inuyasha had spent the night split between sulking in the trees and growling at nothing. He knew that Kagome had spent time training with the houshi and the old miko but he still stuck to the idea that she would never be stronger than Kikyou. He had openly scoffed when Kagome told him of learning to use a sword with Sango and had nearly laughed out right when Sango made mention that Kagome shouldn't carry a sword just yet.

He had never bothered to watch the girls practice and had assumed that Sango had said such a thing simply because Kagome was no better at sword play than she was at anything else. Sure, she brought a few helpful things from her era – such as ramen – but really she wasn't all that useful. He found that he spent just as much time rescuing her or keeping her out of trouble as he did looking for jewel shards; never mind the fact that she hadn't been kidnapped in well over three years and that the rest of the group aided in her rescue just as much as he.

As far as he was concerned, the group would do better with Kikyou by their side instead of Kagome; she was a fully trained miko and could sense the shards just as well as her reincarnation. His thoughts took him back to the day he first met the futuristic miko and he remembered how he thought her to be Kikyou, his only love. He had soon found out that although they had possessed the same soul, they were nothing alike.

Sure, Kikyou was no longer living but she was far more willing than Kagome and Inuyasha found he much preferred the dead priestess's body to what he had seen of the living one. Kikyou was statuesque; the lines of her body were long and lean whereas Kagome was curvy, far too curvy as far as he was concerned. Kikyou had an ethereal beauty about her and seemed to him that she should have been royalty. Kagome wasn't nearly as pretty as Kikyou and Inuyasha couldn't help compare the two.

He had heard Kagome's soft sobs and smelled the salt of tears on the air and felt a small twinge of guilt. A tiny voice in the depths of his soul told him he was far too harsh on her all the time; that she truly did have worth to him and the entire group and that all she had ever done was love him. That traitorous voice took him back down memory lane to the nice times he had spent with the young miko. When she had stood up to Sesshoumaru on his behalf and gone into his father's tomb at his side; the time she had kept silent vigil over him on his human night when he had been weakened; when she had taken an arrow in the back to save him.

The feeling of guilt was back, stronger this time, and his ears drooped slightly. Kagome had always been very good to him; she trusted in him without fail and always stayed by his side. He had repaid her with nothing but cruelty and insults. He looked once more to her prone form, curled around Shippou in her sleeping bag, and almost wanted to apologize. Almost. Another voice piped up then and squashed down his conscious.

Sure, she had said she loved him but the fact remained that he didn't love her. And although he didn't return her feelings, in his mind she was his. No one would take her away from him, even if he didn't really want her. She held no purpose for him and it was only his pride in the fact that he had 'found' her that kept her around. He thought he could just as easily get Kikyou to join the group and the hunt for the shards. As if summoned, he saw a silver, reptilian body slide across his vision and he was off into the night, leaving his comrades behind.

After a few strong leaps through the tree tops, Inuyasha found Kikyou awaiting him in a clearing and he wasted no time in closing the distance between them and sealing his lips against hers. He instinctively fought back his body's urge to cringe at her cold touch and the scent of death and decay that permeated her flesh and pulled back to look at her before kissing her once again.

That kiss had sealed his fate and made his decision. Soon, the dead miko would be taking Kagome's place. Whether she returned to her time or not was her choice.

Kagome sat still, plastered against the rock at her back and could only stare at the figure in front of her. Her eyes started at his feet and slowly roamed up the expanse of his body. He was dressed in full battle regalia and looked every bit the royalty he was known as. Armor adorned his chest, though his swords were absent, and as her gaze lighted on his face, her breathe caught in her throat. Flawless alabaster skin was decorated with a single indigo stripe from cheekbone to temple and a small smile played about his lips. His hair glowed like spun moonbeams in its high ponytail and warm golden eyes burned brighter than the sun.

She knew she was staring…alright; she was flat out gawking but Kami! She couldn't help it! Standing before her was one of the most beautiful creatures she had ever seen and although her brain was sending repeat messages to her mouth to close and her body to bow, she could nothing but stare at him. He seemed the perfect mix of his sons and there was no doubt that the demon in front of her was none other than the late Inu no Taisho.

"Kagome-sama, while I am flattered by your appraisal of me, I don't have much time to speak with you." His smooth voice flowed from his throat and gently graced her ears. He watched in mildly veiled amusement as the fog cleared from her eyes to leave a surprised look and a soft blush graced her cheeks.

The young miko was sufficiently stunned. She had no clue why the Great and Terrible Dog General was appearing to her, how he knew her name or why he was referring to her with such a title. "Sugimi-sama please, I am no lady and deserve no such title. How do you know me and why are you here?"

That statement granted her a beautiful smile she blushed again. "If you require no such title, then neither do I. After all, I am no longer a lord. As for how I know you and why I am here, the answer to those questions coincide. I have known who you would be long before you born in a time five hundred years from now. I was a powerful lord in my life and had the gift of foresight. I knew it would be you who would pull Tetsusaiga free and help control the wrath of So'ounga. I am here to beseech your help Kagome."

Now that had her attention. She was known of by one of the most powerful demons to have ever lived and he was here from the afterlife to request her help? Standing from her place on the ground, she absentmindedly brushed dust from her clothes and turned her face upward slightly to lock gazes with him again. "What could I possibly do that would drive you from your rest in the otherworld to seek me out? If you are looking for a powerful miko, you are around fifty years too late."

Inu no Taisho was by no means ignorant of the situation she spoke of. He had been watching the progression of his sons' lives since he had been taken from the land of the living and was well aware of how badly Kagome had been treated by his youngest. He felt ashamed that his own blood could treat anyone as badly as Inuyasha had treated this beautiful young miko. Even Sesshoumaru wasn't as cruel as Inuyasha had been to her, which would help him in his cause.

Looking down into her glittering blue eyes, he felt a pang of regret. Regret that his son hadn't treated her better and even regret that he hadn't lived long enough to truly know the wonderful woman in front of him. Even though he had dearly loved the mothers of his sons, Sugimi thought he easily could have loved Kagome as well. Although there was no chance he could take her as his maybe he could at least help his son see the treasure she was.

"Kagome do not downgrade yourself so; there is no reason for it. Inuyasha is a crass and cruel person; far from what I had hoped him to be. I am here for you and only you can help me. My son is suffering from a curse and you are the only one that can lift it. He needs you, even if he will never admit to it." He saw her eyes widen suddenly and already knew the question that would form on her lips.

"Inuyasha?" She spoke quietly, her voice a bare whisper between them.

Shaking his head sadly, he replied. "No, not Inuyasha. The farther his heart follows its dark path, the more lost to the light he is. There is no saving him because he does not wish to be saved. He will follow the undead priestess until the ends of the Earth, regardless of how much you try to dissuade him." He paused then, letting his words sink in and taking a small break before continuing what he had to say. He was sure there would be fireworks at his proclamation.

The confusion and pain in her eyes made her seem so much more vulnerable and innocent than he knew her to be and briefly, he felt guilty to be laying such a chore on her already burdened shoulders. It could not be helped however. "I need you to help Sesshoumaru. There is a curse that has been placed upon him that will force him into his true form on the night of the full moon. If he were whole, this wouldn't be a problem, however with only three limbs he would be a sitting duck if he were not within the safety of his castle."

Now surprise and clear incredulity replaced the sadness and befuddlement as her eyes widened even more. "What? I am supposed to help Sesshoumaru? The same Sesshoumaru that despises humans and has tried to kill me? And how am I supposed to know how to lift a curse?" She was rambling she knew, but she couldn't stop the torrent of words that flowed from her lips. It was all too much for her to comprehend.

He smiled at her again. Truly she was an amusing creature and far more entertaining then anyone he had ever met. "Yes that Sesshoumaru. Lifting the curse right now would be impossible and can only be accomplished with time. For now, you have to help him resolve the problems that come with said curse. He will not survive without the use of all of his limbs. You are the only one that can restore to him what was lost."

"What?" Was the highly intelligent response that greeted him and he couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his lips.

Turning serious once more, he stared deeply in to her eyes as if willing her to trust in him; and she did, without even knowing why. "Kagome, you have to retrieve his severed arm and restore it to him."

She sputtered then and waved her hands in the air. "That isn't possible!"

Another smirk played across his lips at her antics, "And, pray tell, why?"

Her eyebrows rose to disappear under her bangs and she looked at him as though he had grown a second head. "Why? WHY? I'll tell you why. His arm was lost to the underworld in the battle with Takemaru! And you seem to forget that Sesshoumaru would sooner kill me then let me close enough to explain my presence. I may respect you but I will not walk in to the lion's den that way."

Warm, rolling laughter bubbled up from the depths of the dog demon's chest and filled the small clearing, causing Kagome to stop in the middle of her tirade and look at him questioningly. "And what is so funny? Neither one of your sons like me very much, you know."

His demeanor sobered then and a serious look crossed his perfect features. "His arm is no longer in the underworld. I was able to convince a few of the higher powers that it was to remain in my tomb. I truly am sorry for how you have been treated by Inuyasha but Sesshoumaru does not hate you nor does he truly even hate humans."

Bright blue eyes widened once more. "It's back in your tomb? That doesn't make it any easier though. And what do you mean, he doesn't hate humans? I have heard him say it on more than one occasion."

A perfect silvery eyebrow arched in a motion that reminded Kagome very much of Sesshoumaru. "How does that not make it easier? You would be entirely unable to venture into the realm of hell but you have been to my tomb before."

Kagome threw her hands into the air in a frustrated gesture. "Because! Your tomb just so happens to be in Inuyasha's EYE! I can't just go up to him and say 'Hey, let me in your old man's tomb to fetch your hated half-brothers' arm so I can restore it to him.', ya know? And you still didn't answer my other question."

Another deep chuckle came from the Inu youkai and his brilliant golden eyes danced. "My dear, I can easily help you to my tomb and as far as your other question goes, it is just as I have said: he doesn't truly hate humans."

Seeing a truly puzzled look on Kagome's beautiful face implored him to continue. "Sesshoumaru's mother, Kaori, and I were never mates, though I did love her. Our relationship was an entirely political one. Her family had a pure bloodline, as did mine, and our fathers thought it would benefit both families for us to come together and create an heir for the Western Territories. While my lands would get a pure-blooded heir, her family would be paid handsomely and that was enough for them, or so I thought.

Kaori stayed at the Western Palace and raised Sesshoumaru. I had offered her to stay at the castle beyond her role as his mother but she had politely declined stating that there was a human man from her own village that she deeply loved and as soon as her time with Sesshoumaru was through, she was planning on returning to her beloved and becoming his mate. I had arranged things so that she and her mate would have a small village on my lands that would be their own. It was my way of providing for the mother of my child."

He paused then to catch his breath and regard Kagome. Her brilliant sapphire eyes were wide with intense interest and he smiled at her, unable to help himself. "Kaori had two days left at the palace before she and her intended would take over the village. I had transferred two of my guards and a handful of servants to her care and all of them were heading to her new home in her village with a load of her belongings when they were attacked. From what I know, her father had wanted her to seduce me into taking her as a mate so he could get his fingers into my territories and when she refused and told him of her intended, he hired assassins to hunt her down.

She died due to her love for a human, as did I a mere year later. While Kaori had been at the palace, I had met Izayoi, Inuyasha's mother, and had fallen deeply in love with her. I only had yet to mark her when she was taken from me. I died protecting her and Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru knew of all this and could only assume that love was a weakness and had banished it from his conscious feelings. He turned his anger towards the humans simply because both his parents had loved them. He feels no real hatred towards your race; he is simply misguided. Do not forget Rin. Love still exists in his heart and eventually, he will realize that it is only a weakness when it isn't true love. I truly loved Izayoi with all my heart and even though I died that night, I had never been stronger."

The late Taiyoukai had been lost amongst the halls of memories and when his tale was finished he looked back to Kagome and found her blue orbs lined with unshed tears. "Kagome, what is the matter?"

Kagome had stood by and listened to the tale Sugimi had to tell and found that she was entranced by it. The way he spoke and the story itself made her think of some of the fairy tales she learned as a child; his story was one full of sorrow, pain and love. He spoke so passionately about the people he had loved and to think that he had gone through so much made her heart clench for him. She thought about all he had said and felt she understood Sesshoumaru's reasons for acting the way he did towards the ningen race but she also realized that he couldn't hate them as much as was proclaimed. There was Rin.

"I just…I hate hearing about people that love one another so very dearly and can't live their lives with them. My mother once told me that love hurts, but it isn't always supposed to hurt. I am sure that your love for Kaori and Izayoi hurt every once in awhile, but surely not always and I guess that alone makes me realized that Inuyasha would never love me. My love for him always left me hurting and it still does." She finished in a quiet whisper, her emotions riding high and closing her throat while her head drooped.

She was shocked to the core when she felt a soft but strong hand under her chin and snapped her head up to come face to face with the image of the once powerful Taiyoukai. "I am sorry Kagome, both for making you cry and for having to leave. I wish I could stay here just a little while longer but my time is up. I will return to you in two weeks time."

Kagome blinked and he was gone, leaving not even a trace that he had ever been there to begin with.


	3. Chapter 3

A week's time had passed since the situation with Inuyasha and Kouga and although things were mostly back to normal, Kagome could be caught staring off into space in deep thought more often than naught. While Inuyasha didn't seem to notice – or maybe he simply didn't care – Miroku, Shippou, Sango and Kirara had definitely seen how absentminded their miko had been. Since she was easily brought from her daze when one or the other would speak to her, those concerned assumed it was nothing serious.

How wrong they were.

The group had been trekking through miles of dense forest and all were somewhat thankful for the lush coverage from the glaring sun, even if the smothering of trees did encourage a sweltering amount of humidity.

It was early afternoon and the Shard Hunters had just come into a small clearing amidst the forest that was edged on one side by a beautiful brook when Inuyasha raised his nose to the air and disappeared with a mumbled "Gonna check the area." Of course, this excuse succeeded in fooling absolutely no one since the hanyou had been deserting them at various times of the day just as an eerie silver glow would pass their peripheral vision.

Four pairs of saddened eyes turned towards the young priestess who stood still, staring at the last place their dog-eared companion had stood. None of them were fools and knew instinctively that Kagome was hurting inside. They had all been witness to how her heart had slowly been forcing Inuyasha out but the process was just that…slow. Miroku could easily feel the dampening of Kagome's immense spiritual power and his heart tugged. Violet eyes turned to the left to regard the Taijiya that stood next to him and her brown eyes were liquid with sorrow for her sister.

The monk sighed heavily as Kagome walked soundlessly towards the running water, pulling out canteens and her cooking pot as she went. "Someday soon he will lose her entirely. Her heart cannot keep being hurt by him and sooner or later, it will decide to save itself and shut down completely. Never before have I seen someone who needed to be saved as desperately as Kagome-sama."

"Houshi-sama?" Sango questioned. Although she understood the first parts of his statement, the last confused her. How did Kagome need to be saved? Weren't they enough to protect her?

Slowly, the monk turned to face a confused slayer, kitsune and neko. Sighing once more, he spoke. "Let's gather some firewood while we speak. It seems as though we are making camp here for the night." As the others nodded their acceptance of the plan and began collecting wood from the area around the meadow, Miroku started speaking once more.

"Kagome-sama's heart is too weak to continue being trod upon and I fear that if things keep going the way they have been, she will lose her ability to love and trust in people. She has so very much love in her heart and soul and her capacity to care about so many beings at once is something special. She doesn't question people because of their blood and accepts everyone with open arms and a warm smile. Kagome-sama needs someone that can love her the way she deserves; the way her heart needs."

The stockpile of wood towards the center of the clearing had accumulated to more than they would probably need and Miroku arranged a good amount of the wood into a pile and after Shippou had summoned his foxfire, the wood caught and soon blazed merrily. The four friends dropped down to the ground around the fire and a collective sigh sounded out amongst them. Shippou was the first to break the silence.

"Miroku, do you think Kagome will still be able to love us? I don't want to lose another mother." The kit said brokenly, the fear of losing the only person to love him as his parents had settling around his small heart. Kirara mewed softly and crawled into his lap, licking at the tears that ran down his cheeks.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, the monk spoke in a sad voice. "I don't really know Shippou. She wants to love us all so much but the one she most wants to give her heart to doesn't seem to care. How he can't see the love that shines in her eyes is beyond me. She has started moving on from him but I fear that unless someone can heal the damage done to her heart, she may never be the same. Kagome-sama has put so much trust in Inuyasha and every time he speaks so cruelly to her, it wears away."

Sango could only nod her head sadly. She had noticed the way her sister had begun to close off slightly and how the fire in her abnormally blue eyes had dimmed. The huntress had tried to shrug it off as fatigue from the heat of summer and weariness from shard hunting. "What can we do to help her Miroku-sama? Surely as her friends there is something we can do."

Pained violet met distraught chocolate and Miroku spoke once more. "I don't think so Sango. While we are her friends and family in this era, the love we give her isn't the love she needs. She badly wanted to give her heart to Inuyasha and we can be thankful that he only has a hold on it, not possession of it."

Confusion reigned over sadness and despair in the slayer's eyes and the houshi was forced to expand on his thoughts. "Kagome-sama has never given her full heart to Inuyasha. She wants to love him because he loves her and since he doesn't, she still has control over her heart."

Exasperated, Sango threw her hands in the air. "But how is that a good thing? Didn't you just say that the only way to save her soul is to have her love?"

A small, sardonic smile touched the monk's lips. "Indeed I said that. What I mean is that through these actions, it is obvious that Inuyasha is neither the one her heart wants nor the one her soul yearns for. He is not her soulmate and that means that there is still hope. She needs only to find the other half of her soul."

Realization dawned in the pairs of eyes that had been watching Miroku intently and he said an internal prayer of thanks. "So," Shippou started tentatively, "you're saying that momma needs to find her soulmate? How? Can she find him before she can't love anymore?" His poor little heart was aching with emotion for the woman that had treated him as her own. He loved her more than he remembered loving his parents and if there was anything he could do for her, it would be done without question.

Sango had been lost in thought about the realizations made about Kagome when she heard Shippou's questions. "I think she can, Shippou. Miroku-sama is right. Kagome-chan needs to be loved and only the person meant for her can heal her soul. Finding her soulmate is something only she can do, but I think we can help her a bit."

Miroku turned questioning violet orbs to lock with the mahogany eyes he loved so much. "How do you propose we help her Sango?" He nearly questioned his sanity at asking such a thing when a mischievous gleam entered the slayer's eyes.

"That's simple. We just keep reminding her how much she means to us and tell her that Inuyasha is a complete baka for not returning her feelings. We can tell her that if he can't see past Kikyou and see her, then he isn't the one for her. Kagome never lets hope dwindle and if we can convince her that there is hope for her love to be returned, she won't give up on everything so easily. That and I think I need to make a visit to Totousai. Maybe having a sword of her own will help her confidence some. Besides, she is even better with a blade than I am."

The monk's dark eyebrows rose significantly at this and Shippou's green eyes widened. Jumping onto her lap, the kit gazed at her intently. "Really Sango? Momma is that good?"

Laughing, Sango stroked his tail softly and answered. "Of course she is! Don't tell me you doubted it?" Looking from bright green to deep purple, she realized they didn't really know anything of her sister's progress with a sword. "Maybe I can convince her to spar with me after dinner, especially since Inuyasha isn't here to insult her. You guys are going to be surprised."

"Be surprised about what?" Kagome said as she re-entered the campsite with a pot full of water and several full canteens peeking out from the flap on her yellow backpack. She smiled at her friends and moved to the fire, pulling ramen from her bag and placing water on to boil. As soon as she was seated, Shippou jumped into her lap and snuggled against her stomach.

The Taijiya could only smile at how happy Shippou looked and the flash of life that re-entered her friend's brilliant blue eyes when the kit was so close. _'Kagome needs a family of her own to love. She needs a husband or a mate that will love Shippou as she does and give her what she needs the most.'_ "Kagome-chan, I was just discussing your sword training with Shippou and Houshi-sama and I was thinking that maybe after dinner, we could spar?"

Looks of self-doubt and worry crossed her features while the young miko looked at Sango. Shippou looked up into his mother's eyes and knew she was seriously considering declining. Without further ado, he stood on her lap and tugged on a single raven lock that had fallen over her shoulder. Once he had her attention, he begged. "Please momma? I want to see how good you are!"

After another twenty minutes of various degrees of convincing, begging and pleading Kagome agreed to spar with Sango once dinner was done. Eating was a quiet affair since there was no Inuyasha to fight with Shippou and Miroku seemed to have taken the seriousness of his friend's condition to heart because he remained conscious throughout the entire meal.

Kagome and Sango had moved to the other side of the clearing and took up their stances. An hour full of thrust, parry and block later found the two women smiling brightly and sweating profusely. Once they had rejoined the rest of their companions, Shippou was the first to congratulate Kagome on well she was able to handle a sword, followed closely by Miroku.

"Kagome-sama," the young monk started, "it seems to me that you have gleaned all the teaching and information that you can from us. I think you may even have the lovely Sango beaten in your ability to handle a blade."

The young miko blushed furiously under praise she wasn't accustomed to getting and made to protest the grandeur of their words when Sango halted her progress. "Don't even say it Kagome. Miroku-sama is right; there isn't anything else I can teach you. You handle a katana far better than I do." She smiled brightly at her sister as her blush deepened.

Just as Kagome was ready to start protesting once more, Sango changed the subject. "I think I need to go visit my village and see how they are doing. Maybe if Inuyasha isn't back by daybreak I could give you a ride to the well and then leave?"

Kagome nodded vigorously and grinned, thankful not to be talking about abilities she was sure her friends were making up to make her feel better. "I think that would be fine. Besides, if he really wanted to hunt for shards so badly he wouldn't keep disappearing at any given time. It has been weeks since I visited my parents and I need supplies anyway."

Nods of acceptance went around the camp and soon everyone was tucked into bed and sleeping soundly.

Kagome sprung up into a sitting position from her sleeping bag and glanced around the camp. Was waking up because of something she couldn't yet identify going to become a regular occurrence? The miko prayed not. She had been getting little to no sleep as it was since her visit from the late Inu no Taisho.

At first, Kagome's brain had adamantly refused against even considering the idea but the more she thought it over, the more her heart joined in protest against her brain. For her mind's part, it kept repeating that Sesshoumaru was a cold-hearted killer who despised humans and had tried to kill her. When the miko had first met the Taiyoukai, her mind's argument would have been sound; now that she had spent years in contact with the inu, her heart was able to point out other things not noticed before.

Or at least things that had been ignored.

It was obvious to the priestess now that Sesshoumaru couldn't truly hate humans and wasn't a cold-hearted killer. Her talk with his father had pointed out her own doubts about the youkai lord in glaring reality and no longer could she pretend they didn't exist. Sure, he had tried to kill her once but she realized that it was only because she interfered with a fight between him and Inuyasha. And if she really, _really_ thought about it, she realized that Inuyasha had tried to kill her when they first met too.

And Kouga and Miroku had both kidnapped her and she was friends with them all, save for Sesshoumaru.

The strongest argument for acquiescing to Sugimi-sama's request happened every time Kagome would look at Shippou. Her heart would switch places and soon she was Sugimi-sama and Shippou was Sesshoumaru. She thought about how she would feel if her dear kit was cursed and how painful it would be for her to know that only one person could save him; and that it would be like pulling teeth for it to happen.

That had made up her mind. She would help Sesshoumaru however she could, if only because she could sympathize with his father. But Kagome knew it wasn't just sympathy; she knew that Sesshoumaru was in very real danger by being placed under such a spell and she worried for him. He wasn't truly their enemy and had even been an ally at times, more so than Kikyou ever was and Inuyasha trusted her blindly.

Now that she was once more awake, all these thoughts and more threatened to overwhelm her and she had to forcibly shove them aside to focus on why she was awake now. There was another week left until she had to once more meet with the late Taiyoukai so it had to be something else.

Closing her eyes and relaxing her breathing, Kagome let her aura flare and stretched her senses. She could feel Inuyasha and Kikyou barely on the edge of her consciousness towards the south and she shied away from them. Bringing her focus back to center, she examined as far as she could east and north and found nothing. When she settled her mind towards the west, she felt it.

An aura of a human and three youkai could be felt and they were even closer than the hanyou and the undead miko. Quietly, Kagome stood from her sleeping bag, grabbed her backpack, bow and arrows and tip-toed out of camp. Once she was a safe distance away, her tip-toeing turned into a full on sprint and soon, she was sliding into another clearing.

On one side stood a tall, two-headed dragon youkai and on the other Kagome could make out something small and green lying on the ground unmoving behind a small body; a towering bear youkai stood between them. The dragon seemed familiar to Kagome somehow so she focused on what she assumed was a child. Then, it hit her. Her group had been traveling northwest and Kagome knew from past experience that they were close to the Western Territories. A quick glance at the sky greeted the miko with an eyeful of a brightly shining, full moon.

Sesshoumaru would be in his true form and had most likely returned to the castle, thinking his entourage safe so close to his lands. That meant that the child…

'_Rin!'_


	4. Chapter 4

Whether or not her presence was known, nothing in the clearing changed even as Kagome stood at the very edge. She was sure that with her less than stealthy entrance at least one of the youkai knew she was there. Chancing a quick glance to AhUn, Kagome saw Un's eyes slide towards her, then to Rin and back. She immediately knew that the dragon was concerned for the child and she gave the beast a small smile and a short nod.

One yellow backpack slid from her shoulder and was placed at her feet as her opposite hand slid an arrow from the quiver against her back. In one fluid motion, the arrow was notched against the string and Kagome slipped her fingers firmly around the fletching of feathers. Pulling back the bowstring until it was taught the miko let her aura flare and made sure her presence was known. "Hey you! Not a big enough demon to find prey that can fight back!"

The demon froze at the sound of her voice only to turn towards her with sharp, jerking motions. Once it had made an about face, Kagome could easily understand Rin's apparent bout of extreme terror. The bear youkai was an ugly, hulking creature covered in dark fur that was matted together in clumps from blood and other substances she didn't want to know of. Sharp, elongated claws tipped enormous paws and razor sharp fangs coated in saliva glinted in the moonlight. Its eyes were ablaze in red and it was obvious to the young miko that the beast was being controlled by its blood.

Kagome forced her energy into her arrow and aimed for the chest of the beast. With one final check on her aim, the miko let loose the arrow and watched as it blazed a brilliant blue before crashing into the bear's chest and incinerating it into nothing but ashes. The bright flash of purifying light apparently shook the dragon from his stupor and Kagome watched as AhUn edged closer to Rin. The dragon's movement caused the child to turn wide, frightful eyes towards Kagome. She blinked once and soon screamed "Kagome-chan!" With a few small leaps, Rin flung herself at the miko and wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug.

The force of the child caused the miko to drop down to the ground and she wasted no time in cradling Rin to her chest while running her fingers through her hair and speaking softly to her. Once she was calmed down some, Rin turned tear-filled eyes to Kagome. "I am so glad you're here! Sesshoumaru-sama left for the night like he usually does and we were attacked. AhUn couldn't get to me and Jaken-sama tried to protect me but he got hurt and wouldn't wake up!"

As the girl shifted in her lap, Kagome became aware of something wet and warm seeping into her kimono somewhere near the area of her waist. Pulling gently on Rin, Kagome managed to separate her and looked down at the girls' arm. Four angry looking gashes lined the fragile flesh and blood slowly seeped out. "Rin! You're hurt! And Jaken is too?"

Rin nodded sadly and Kagome was happy to see that she wasn't turning pale and looked to be fine, other than obviously being scared. The miko stood from the ground, never relinquishing her hold on Rin, and walked to where the toad youkai lay. He was face down in the dirt and Kagome could only see the barest rise and fall of his chest. She turned to Rin and asked her to retrieve her backpack and then sit next to AhUn. The child happily complied and was soon nestled against the scaly hide of the dragon.

Turning her attention back to Jaken, she gently lifted him and turned him onto his back. Like Rin, he had four gashes across his chest, though his were far deeper and bleeding profusely. She knew that she could clean and bandage Rin's injuries and she would heal just fine but Jaken would surely die, even with her medicine from the future. Taking another look towards Rin and noting the hopeful look in her tear-rimmed, cinnamon orbs, Kagome knew she would have to use her powers on the kappa youkai.

Her powers were undeniably strong and Kagome had feared the toad's body may not be able to handle the brunt of it. That in her mind, she moved her hands over the wounds across Jaken's chest and concentrated. Once the tingle of her powers started in her hands, Kagome turned her eyes down towards the kappa and watched a soft, blue glow surround her hands and flow into the open flesh. After mere seconds, the bleeding had stopped and the torn edges of skin were closing together. A muffled grunt and moan told the miko he was coming back to consciousness and she let her power recede.

Another groan of pain issued forth from the toad and Rin wasted no time in bounding over to her fallen protector. Once by his side, the girl picked Jaken up by his shoulders and moved his upper body to rest on his lap. Softly, she shook his arm and spoke, "Jaken-sama. Jaken-sama, wake up."

Slowly, green eyelids fluttered and soon, two bulbous, yellow eyes were visible and wide with worry and confusion. "Rin! Are we dead?"

A childish giggle was his immediate answer and he snapped. "Foolish girl! Being dead is not something to laugh about! My poor Sesshoumaru-sama, what will he do without his faithful servant?" Another giggle forced him to sit up and he stared with wide eyes at Kagome.

Whatever she had been expecting from the Sesshoumaru's retainer, his reaction wasn't it. He hadn't been and really wasn't too far in to unconsciousness so his immediate thoughts of having faded to the afterlife were comical. Kagome watched as Jaken turned towards her and his eyes became wide. She knew what was coming and the kappa seemed one to never disappoint.

"Inuyasha's wench! What are you doing here? If me Lord Sesshoumaru were here right now, he would surely slit your disgusting human throat." He growled then; or at least attempted to, and the sound was rather pathetic for a demon.

Kagome's ire had been sparked in just two words and she was ready to purify the ungrateful little bastard to hell and back when Rin piped up from behind the distraught youkai. "But Jaken-sama, Kagome-chan saved us! You were cut open real bad and she healed you."

Her only reply was something akin to squawking and Kagome decided to ignore him; after all, she had plenty of practice with tuning out painful words, at least for the time being. Standing and brushing off her kimono, Kagome held out a hand to Rin. "Come on Rin, let me clean and bandage your arm. Have you eaten yet?"

The girl jumped happily from the ground and wrapped her smaller hand around Kagome's. "Why can't you heal me like you did Master Jaken? No we haven't eaten yet, we were getting ready to when that demon attacked us."

Nodding her head, Kagome walked Rin to a nearby tree and began unpacking her first aid kit. Soon, Rin's arm was cleaned of blood and Kagome was happy to see that compared to what that bear's claws could have done, her injuries were really only scratches and there was no poison. There was no need for stitches – which Kagome was thankful for – and soon had Rin's arm wrapped in gauze.

Rifling through her backpack, Kagome produced a few extra canteens and stood from the ground. "I didn't heal you Rin because I didn't think your cuts were too bad and I didn't heal Jaken completely either. He is youkai though and will be fine come morning. I am going to take these," she said, gesturing to the canteens in her arms, "to the river and get some water. Be right back."

Less then five minutes later, Kagome returned to the clearing and was happy to see Jaken throwing more wood onto the fire in the center of their campsite and Rin was as close to the fire as possible, keeping warm. She walked to Rin and handed her a bottle of water and then dug into her backpack again. This time, she came out with a coloring book and a box of crayons. Handing them to the curious little girl, the miko smiled and said, "These are for you Rin; you can make pictures in the book with the colored sticks. I am going to go into the forest and find something for you all to eat."

Her quiver was still on her back and her bow in her hand, so Kagome made her way out into the trees and soon felled two rabbits. Not wanting to cause Rin any undue upset, Kagome cleaned and skinned the animals in the woods. A few years ago, such a chore would have made her lose her stomach but she soon came to realize that in Feudal Japan, it was the way of the beast and if she wanted to live should she ever be on her own, she would have to get used to such a thing.

Kagome strode back into camp and soon had the rabbits roasting over the fire. Rin happily pounced on her and began showing her the picture of a puppy she was working on, claiming it reminded her of her Sesshoumaru-sama. Sure enough, she had even given the dog golden eyes, marks on its cheeks and a crescent moon on its forehead. Such admiration only further enforced Sugimi-sama's words of how different his eldest truly was and Kagome was happy for Rin. Sesshoumaru was a good protector for her and Kagome knew that the Demon Lord wouldn't keep anyone around unless there was a use for them. Being that Rin was only a child, the miko could only guess that the reason for Rin's continued stay with him was that he enjoyed her company; maybe even cared for her.

After Rin and Jaken had eaten, Kagome checked Rin's bandages and Jaken's wounds and was happy to see things looking well. The gashes that had inhabited the expanse of the kappa youkai's chest and stomach were already healed over with new flesh and Rin's wounds hadn't even bled in the least. She stood once she was done inspecting her patients and dug through her bag once more to pull out two blankets before stuffing everything else back in.

She handed one each to Rin and Jaken and began walking around the edge of the clearing, placing ofudas on the trees. Rin couldn't contain her curiosity. "Kagome, what are you doing with the pieces of paper?"

Having just applied the fifth ofuda, of what she would guess would be at least fifteen by the time she was done; Kagome tilted her head to the side and smiled. "I am setting up a barrier around your camp so you will be safe until Sesshoumaru-sama returns."

Rin's lips formed a small 'O' and she was soon coloring again. After the last sutra was in place, Kagome walked back to Rin and knelt down on the soft ground next to her. "Rin-chan, I have to get back to my friends for now. Try not to get your arm wet until the bandages can be changed again okay?" At her nod, she continued. "Take care of yourself and you too Jaken-sama."

That done, Kagome stood and made her way towards the edge of the campsite in the direction of her companions and was stopped when she was just shy of breeching the tree line by Jaken. "K-Kagome-sama, I thank you for your help with the girl and myself. We owe our lives to you. I must ask though, how will Sesshoumaru-sama come to us if there is a barrier?"

Turning a bright smile to the worried retainer, Kagome spoke in gentle tones. "You don't owe me anything Jaken-sama; not you or Rin-chan. I helped because I care and because I could. As for the barrier, it does not block the senses in anyway, it merely keeps you safe. I will activate the sutras once I am clear of the area and the barrier will only fall once Lord Sesshoumaru is within twenty feet of the campsite. It will only come down for either him or me. Stay safe tonight Jaken-sama."

Before he could even respond, the miko had taken the final step to the trees and a barrier sprung up in her wake.

Twenty minutes later found the young miko walking back into the campsite as quietly as possible. Taking a quick survey of her companions, she noted that Shippou was still curled up in her sleeping bag, Miroku had inched closer to Sango and Inuyasha was still absent. With a sigh, Kagome walked towards her area in the campsite. A quick search of her backpack produced her watch and she was startled to see that it was 2am. Kagome dug a bit more and pulled out some pajamas. Soon, the young miko was wrapped around her kit and sleeping soundly.

Gentle rays of the early morning sun caressed her eyelids and Kagome wanted nothing more than to crawl in a dark cave somewhere and continue her rest. Knowing that the sun rose around half past five did little to improve her mood; that meant she had only gotten a little over three hours of sleep and she was sure Inuyasha was going to be a slave driver for the day. Well, at least until he ran off to meet Kikyou.

Feeling Shippou shift against her stomach, she ran the back of her hand across her eyes and yawned. Placing a gentle hand on Shippou's shoulder, she gave him a firm shake. "Shippou sweetie, it's time to get up."

Eyelids fluttered over brilliant teal eyes as the kit came into wakefulness and soon he was copying his momma; rubbing a small hand across his eyes and yawning as well. He stood long enough to hop on to Kagome's shoulder and give her neck an affectionate squeeze before hopping to her backpack and retrieving her cooking pot. Without a word, he strolled to the brook near their camp and filled it while Kagome set about getting ramen and chopsticks for everyone.

The smell of cooking food soon roused Sango and Miroku and the entire group was sitting around the warm fire eating. Everyone seemed to be lost in their own thoughts and silence reigned supreme. Apparently, a certain houshi decided that this morning wasn't meant for peace and quiet and soon, a loud slap followed by the shout of "Hentai!" rung out through the clearing.

Seeing a furious color of red across her sister's cheeks and a hard eyed glare directed at the monk was all it took for Kagome to break into giggles. Shippou was soon laughing alongside her and even the slayer had to chuckle. A groan from the ground signaled Miroku's awakening and Sango promptly moved to sit next to Kagome and Shippou.

"Momma," the kit started, perching himself on Kagome's lap and staring up at her, "when do you think Inuyasha will be back?"

Her blue eyes turned thoughtful for a second before darkening in anger. "I don't know Shippou but if it isn't soon, we will leave without him and head back to Kaede's village."

"Alright. Are you going home?" Shippou asked, a bright twinkle entering his eyes.

Kagome grinned down at her kit, already knowing the question that would tumble from his lips and answered him. "Yes I am. We need more supplies and I haven't seen my family in weeks. Is there anything special you want me to bring back for you?"

The young kitsune could barely contain his enthusiasm and was soon hopping from one foot to the other. "Yes! I want some chocolate and pocky, the strawberry kind."

Turning questioning gazes to her friends, she asked them the same question and both answered in the negative. Not that it mattered what they said; Kagome would bring them something nonetheless.

The snap of a twig caught the groups' attention and the three adults bolted to their feet, each readying their respective weapons while Shippou ran to stand by Kirara. A flash of red and silver was seen seconds before Inuyasha landed in camp, winded and looking rather bedraggled.

"Where the hell is that bastard? I know he's around here somewhere, I can smell him!" The hanyou growled as his hand reached for the hilt of Tetsusaiga.

A smooth, deadly voice chimed from the edge of the clearing opposite Inuyasha, causing the half-demon to growl. "And how is exactly, dear brother, that you can smell my person above your own stench?"

All eyes turned to the newcomer and were greeted by the beautiful and deadly visage of the Demon Lord of the Western Territories.

"Sesshoumaru! What in the hell do you want, bastard?" Inuyasha snarled, his grip on Tetsusaiga tightening and his furry triangle ears twitching madly.

An elegant silvery eyebrow rose and he indulged in an answer. "My business is not with you half-breed," The line of his gaze shifted then, to fall on none other than Kagome. "It is with your woman."


	5. Chapter 5

Inuyasha jumped to consume the space between the miko and Taiyoukai, his hand sliding the Tetsusaiga just the barest amount away from its sheath. "Why the fuck are you-"

"Inuyasha, sit boy!" Kagome said angered at ignoring her and the thoughts she knew were in his mind. She wasn't his; she wasn't anybody's. In fact, no one really wanted her except for Kouga – whom was only a very dear friend in her eyes – and Hojou, who was sweet and thoughtful but far too dull a character for her.

Walking around the prostrate and incensed hanyou, Kagome stopped facing the Demon Lord. "Gomen nasai Sesshoumaru-sama," she started, bowing to the Taiyoukai "Kikyou isn't here right now and I am sure you weren't looking to partake in her more…special services. Do you require one with such power or will a not-so-good miko suffice?"

Kagome's eyes were transfixed on the golden gaze of the Lord of the West and if it weren't for that, she would have missed something monumental. Well, to her it was noteworthy anyway, the reaction to her words. His eyes widened only slightly and the corner of his lips twitched just a touch. Could he be amused? Or is he getting ready to kill me thinking I was insinuating he wanted a tryst with a corpse?

'_Clever girl,'_ Sesshoumaru thought, _'she insulted the hanyou in perfect form and made it sound like a genuine question. I never thought humans could be so crafty.'_

She was gazing at him expectantly, wide blue eyes locked on his own golden orbs. _'Wait, blue? I have never seen a human with eyes that color. How intriguing.'_ "You are correct miko. I have no need for the corpse or her services nor do I need a powerful priestess, however I am sure you could more than fit the bill, were that the case."

He smirked internally as those brilliant eyes seemed to lighten to an even more enchanting shade of blue. _'What? What! Why would I ever think anything about a human was enchanting? Rin must be making me soft.'_ He took a step closer to her and noticed the monk and slayer stepping closer to flank the young miko, grips on their weapons tightening. _'They are more protective of her than the half-breed is. Why does she not think herself powerful? Or is there something else at work?'_

All these thoughts and more filtered through his mind and he wanted to give in to the childish urge to shake his head in an effort to do away with such offending thoughts. Why did he care if those ningens were being protective of another? Why did he know that there was something happening between his half-brother and the miko and why, above all, did he care? It made no sense to him, so he shoved all those errant thoughts into a closet and locked it. He would think on those things another time; he had business to attend to.

Try as she might, Kagome couldn't get over his words or his voice. He had complimented her in a roundabout way and seemed to be paying no attention to anything else. Why was he here at all? Had something gone wrong with the barrier she set up around his entourage? Was he upset with her for having even been there? No, she decided, that didn't make sense. If something was wrong, wouldn't he have just stormed in here and killed her?

She looked back to her friends and noticed that they weren't paying any mind to her or the Taiyoukai; they were focused completely on the snarling and cursing form of Inuyasha at her back. "What can I do for you then, Sesshoumaru-sama? I doubt you came here to listen to Inuyasha growl and swear." She said, a nuance of amusement lacing her voice.

Inuyasha sprung up from his prone position and jumped next to Kagome. "What are talking about Kagome? This is Sesshoumaru, remember? My cold-hearted, murdering bastard of a half-brother?" He snarled at her before turning his attention to the Demon Lord. "And you! What the fuck do you want with Kagome?"

"Inuyasha, sit boy!" Came the magic words that sent the hanyou plummeting back to his most familiar position. He growled and muttered something about 'stupid bitches' before his face was pressed further into the dirt by a well placed Shakouju.

Miroku and Sango had stepped up next to the young miko upon hearing that the Taiyoukai's business was with her. They were well aware that should he choose to kill their friend, he would succeed; that didn't mean they would go down without a fight. Now, they were watching the Demon Lord expectantly, wondering what he could want with the gentle miko.

All of Sesshoumaru's attention was on Kagome. It was only the second month of his curse and he had learned well the first time it came to fruition that he needed to take it seriously.

He had been patrolling the area just outside the border to his lands when he was stopped by a runner from his palace saying that a scroll had been delivered by an invisible being proclaiming it as urgent. The scroll was produced and the messenger had been sent back to the Western Territories.

There had been no scent detectable on the parchment which was odd in itself and once it was unrolled, he found the contents just as odd. It had read that he had been placed under a curse by one that he had once held dear to him. Every month, on the night of the full moon, he would be forced into his true form until the sun arose in the east. It made no mention of a cure and only stated that there was only one being in the world that could lift it.

He had scoffed at it before promptly eradicating it with the poison from his claws. Honestly, who did this person think they were? Who thought they were powerful enough to curse him without his knowledge and succeed? He had thought it impossible and most likely a ruse and had therefore ignored it.

What a mistake that had been.

Sesshoumaru had left the palace and gone to the dojo to train after the evening meal and no sooner had the sun dipped below the horizon and he felt his jaws separate and reshape. His entire body soon followed and once the change was complete, he was exhausted and dropped to the floor in a heap. He had slept until sunrise and as his body began to shift back into its humanoid form, he remembered what had happened…he was cursed.

His entire body felt like it was being burned away by acid and he could do nothing but continue to lay on the floor until he slipped into a deep, healing sleep. He still hadn't been up to par for the next two days.

Last night had been the second time he experienced the curse and since he knew it was real, he was able to take precautions. His entourage hadn't made it far outside of his borders before the sun began to dangle dangerously close the horizon. They were on the move, looking around for someone who could possibly have the knowledge and power to lift the spell.

They had stopped in a clearing and he had returned to the castle to spend the evening in the dojo. It was big enough to accommodate him without problem and no one would enter once he gave the word to be left alone. He had settled down to meditate and once the sun was gone and the change began, he was thankful for it. It wasn't as painful as it had been the first time and he had felt well enough upon waking.

When he returned to the area where he left his ward and retainer, he felt the power of a barrier drop and sped towards the clearing. Upon entering, he found a dead bear youkai that had been dragged into the tree line and the entire area smelled of blood. Sifting through the scent of the bear, he found both Rin and Jaken's blood present as well as the aroma of spiced vanilla and roses. Rin had spotted him as he took a step into the meadow and was soon clinging to his leg and explaining away the youkai and the blood.

Now, he was watching the young miko who had risked her life to save the ones under his care. Sesshoumaru was sure he wouldn't be well received by his half-brother's pack but he was hoping to at least present the miko with his thanks.

He watched as she took a tentative step towards him, ignoring the protests of her friends and his sibling, and spoke to him. "Lord Sesshoumaru?" She said, her head tilting to the side in a curious movement that reminded him of Rin.

A step closer to her was her answer and he slid his hand into his haori. The miko stilled her next step and watched his eyes closely. He shook off the urge to lose himself in those questioning midnight depths and pulled a small pouch free from his clothing.

Kagome was genuinely curious what the Demon Lord would want with her. He wasn't acting avenging or aggressive and she couldn't help but notice how beautiful he was when he wasn't angry. Even if his face didn't change with his emotions, she noticed his eyes did and when he was angry, it was hard to even make eye contact with him. Now though, now his eyes were entrancing. They seemed to have changed to warm honey and almost looked as if he was pleading her to not be afraid of him.

As his hand retracted from his haori, Kagome felt a wave of power wash around her and a small gasp escaped her lips. Sango and Miroku were promptly by her side once more. "Kagome? What's wrong?" the slayer said, worried about the change in her friend's mood.

Miroku placed a hand on her shoulder, "Kagome-sama, what is it? Is something amiss?"

Kagome licked her lips and took a quick glance at Miroku. "Shards, Miroku. He has shards. A lot of them from what I can tell." Her eyes were wide as she took another step towards him and widened slightly more when he took an answering step in her direction. Soon, the space between the two had been closed and Kagome had to tilt her head back just a little to keep eye contact with him.

She jumped when she felt his clawed hand wrap around her wrist but she calmed immediately when she realized his touch was gentle and he was still staring at her. Slowly, he brought her small hand up towards him, palm up, and stopped when it was close to his stomach. When he let go of her wrist, her hand remained and he nodded before pressing the bag into her hand.

Blinking, she tore her gaze from those molten eyes to her hand and then back, only to find that Sesshoumaru was nowhere in site. She turned then and looked to her friends. While Miroku and Sango were giving her a rather odd look, Inuyasha was sitting on the ground in his customary pouting pose.

Sango and Miroku had been watching the entire scene play out with wide eyes. Miroku leaned over to Sango and whispered, "Is it just me or does this look more like a seduction than a casual exchange?" The slayer could only nod her head in acceptance, too caught up in the goings on of her friend and the Taiyoukai. They were broken from their stupor when Kagome walked up to them.

"I can't believe he had shards!" She exclaimed, a bright smile lighting her face. She knew why he had come now; he had come to thank her. Although she was almost certain he would never give thanks in a vocal way, it was enough for her to know that he knew the importance of it. Kagome hadn't realized how important her decision to save his group would be to him until now and with his silent thanks, she had no regrets. Maybe, Sesshoumaru could learn to love…or at least care.

Miroku blinked and looked down at the small miko. Her eyes were glowing with happiness and he couldn't help the smile that curved his lips. Really, she was quite beautiful and even more so when she smiled. "Kagome, how many did he have? Why would he give them to us?"

A tint of pink crept on her cheeks and her smile turned sheepish. "I haven't looked yet." Nimble fingers soon made quick work of the leather tie that held the bag closed and she dumped the contents into her open hand, purifying them on contact. Her eyes alighting on every piece, she gasped when she counted the total. "Ten! There are ten shards in here!" She bounced happily for a second – unknowingly giving a lecherous houshi a good view of her softly swaying breasts – before opening the vial around her neck and dumping the purified shards inside.

A growl behind her made Kagome turn around and look at Inuyasha. He was standing now, arms crossed over his chest and glowering at the ground as if it had committed a personal slight against him. "Inuyasha?" His eyes snapped to hers and he looked beyond irritated.

"Why the hell would that bastard give us jewel shards? I thought the pompous ass would've horded them, seeing as how he nearly drools at the thought of power." Another growl followed his rather short rant and before he could start in on another tirade, the wind shifted and he lifted his nose to the air. Without a word, he was gone.

Kagome sighed and turned back to her companions. They were watching her intently, looks of concern and sorrow on their faces. "It's okay guys. I know where he went. His heart will always be Kikyou's and I will always be second best. I am just Kagome and that is all I can ever be and I am just not good enough for him."

Sango was furious and wanted nothing more than to hunt the hanyou down and let him meet with the business end of Hiraikotsu. He had been bitching and moaning about not finding any shards and now that they had ten more in their possession, he was still in a foul mood. To top it all off, he deserted them in the same spot he had the day before! She stomped off angrily to polish her boomerang.

While Miroku was always one of the more level-headed in the group and was normally slow to anger, his rage at the way the half-demon treated the kind hearted miko surfaced. Violet eyes flashed angrily as they stared off in the direction he had left. Inuyasha always was quick to call Sesshoumaru cold-hearted but it was none other than the hanyou himself that constantly, and consciously, broke Kagome's heart.

"Miroku let it go. He has chosen his path with his heart. He loves her in a way I could never obtain. I have known this for awhile now but it still hurts when he doesn't trust us enough to even say where he is going." Kagome spoke up from her place on the ground, sitting on her sleeping bag. His gaze turned to her and softened.

"Kagome," he started walking up to the miko and settling on the ground next to her, "why did Sesshoumaru come here? And how can you be so forgiving to Inuyasha when he does nothing but hurt you?"

She sighed heavily, weighing the pros and cons of telling the rest of her group about what had happened. She knew she couldn't speak of his curse but she could talk around it. "He came because he wanted to I think." Seeing the questioning faces of her friends, she continued. "I woke up in the middle of the night and had a bad feeling about something. When I sent my aura out, I found a human and three demons towards the west. I knew something was wrong so I followed my instincts."

Shippou crawled up into her lap and she hugged him to her before speaking again. "Sesshoumaru's ward, retainer and dragon were in a clearing and a bear youkai was attacking them. I killed the demon and bandaged Rin and Jaken up. Then I set up a barrier with some ofudas so they would stay safe until he came back."

Her friends were wide-eyed but only nodded at her. Miroku spoke up again, his voice soft and questioning, "What about the second question?"

Stormy blue eyes filled with tears turned towards him and Kagome whispered in a broken and defeated tone, "Because I can be. This era is so filled with people who kill without remorse and hold grudges without justification. I'm not that way; I can't hold a grudge against Inuyasha simply because he doesn't love me."

Sango had rejoined her friends and reached over and gripped her hand firmly. "Kagome, it isn't just that. He doesn't even seem to care that he hurts you! He goes off with Kikyou all the time and every time Kouga is even in the area, he gets mad and starts trying to force him away from you. If he doesn't want you then he needs to back off and let you love someone else."

A bitter, sardonic laugh filtered through soft, rosy lips. "And who would love me Sango? If I am not good enough for a hanyou, how could anyone else love me? It doesn't matter anymore, what my feelings are. I have a duty to restore the Shikon no Tama and I will continue to do it. It's all I am really good at anyway."

She stood then and walked to the trees, stopping where they started and turning her head to the sky. "Once the jewel is finished, I'll go home and never come back. Inuyasha can have Kikyou and his stupid wish and I will have nothing."

Unknown to her, a familiar pair of golden eyes watched her and had heard her broken words.


	6. Chapter 6

Small, nimble fingers dug into pale, cream colored fur as the fire neko flew gracefully over the sleeping world. It was sometime during the middle of the night now and Kagome had waited until her friends were soundly sleeping at their campsite before setting a barrier around them and hitching a ride on Kirara.

She hadn't really wanted to just up and leave them, but they knew she needed to go home and was well aware that when they awoke to find her gone, they would know she left to avoid Inuyasha. _Inuyasha,_ she thought sadly. Even if she no longer loved him as a potential boyfriend, she still cared about him and the blatant disregard for her feelings and safety made her cringe.

The hanyou's love for the undead miko would have been something out of a faerie tale, something almost swoon worthy, if the entire reality of their tryst wasn't so disturbing. Yes the two had loved – though Kagome suspected it was one-sided based on Kikyou's desire to have the hanyou turn human – but their love had been torn apart and buried some fifty plus years ago. It was true that the two were pitted against one another by Naraku but if their love had been real – and their trust solid – the farce wouldn't have taken such a harsh toll on them.

Maybe they both would have been spared an undue amount of heartache and pain.

Although Kagome couldn't honestly say that she thought Kikyou loved her hanyou friend, she knew the deceased miko had to have harbored feelings of some kind toward him based on her constant seeking him out. Kagome still thought that the amount of monitoring Kikyou did on Inuyasha was something to be wary of. After all, the undead miko had stolen her shards and given them to Naraku.

That brought another question: How in the nine hells could Kikyou have assisted a monster such as Naraku without even batting an eye yet she wouldn't love Inuyasha because he was hanyou? How did that work? Naraku was by far the most vile and deplorable creature she had ever had the misfortune of meeting and yet a one-time miko would willingly help him and occupy his bed?

A low rumbling underneath Kagome brought her back to reality and she patted Kirara's neck affectionately while looking around the forest as they descended. They had only been flying for around half an hour and the nighttime air, coupled with the thought of going home, made her feel alive…free. As the neko touched ground, Kagome easily slid from her companions back and gave her a nice scratch behind the ears before bidding her farewell. She stepped toward the well and watched as Kirara climbed the clouds to return to her mistress.

Now standing at the well, Kagome sighed heavily and slumped to the ground, her back resting on the weathered wood. There was still nearly an entire week to go before she could meet with the late Taiyoukai again and, truth be told, she wished he had said one week instead of two. At first, two weeks hadn't seemed like nearly enough time to thoroughly go over what was asked of her but now she found waiting another six days to be very undesirable.

Finally, she had a purpose and it wasn't being a shard detector, or a nurturer or a comrade in arms. She was needed to aid someone and it was something that, apparently, only she could accomplish. The young miko found herself fervently wishing that she could get on with this new quest to help the stoic Taiyoukai and mumbled a curse or two under her breathe for being so callous as to view his situation as a relief from her boredom.

_Inuyasha must be rubbing off on me more than I thought._

With another heartfelt sigh, Kagome stood from the soft ground and perched upon the lip of the well. Staring down into the gaping maw of her only way home, she whispered "I hope things are better when I return." With that, she leaped down and was quickly enveloped in a flare of blue light.

She landed gently at the bottom of the portal between the era of her birth and the era of her heart and soon made swift work of the climb to the top. The moment she opened the shoji door, Kagome wanted nothing more than to storm the house and hug every one of her family members. However, it was the middle of the night and Kagome knew her entire family was sound asleep.

She crept across the distance between the well house and her house and was soon slipping a key into the front door. With little sound, the door was opened and Kagome was inside, taking off her shoes and depositing her backpack. Tip-toeing through the kitchen and up the steps, Kagome finally made it into her room and wasted no time in stripping of her clothes, donning some pajamas and slipping into bed.

"Where the hell is Kagome?" Inuyasha roared as he skidded to a stop in the middle of the campsite. Upon his return from spending an evening with Kikyou, he had noticed immediately that the future miko's scent was old, indicating she was no longer in camp. As soon as he had caught site of his remaining companions, minus Kagome, still sitting around the camp he was furious. He glared at Miroku then Sango and back again.

"Well? Where the fuck is she?" The hanyou barked as his temper flared. The Taijiya was already standing and tightening her grip on Hiraikotsu, more than ready to bury the weapon in the dog's skull. Miroku's calming hand on her should was the only thing that curbed her rage.

"She went home you jerk!" Sango hissed as her rampaging chocolate eyes narrowed at her companion. "After you left us in the same spot two days in a row, we all assumed that shard hunting had taken a back seat to your time with the corpse, so she had no reason to stay. She hasn't seen her family in quite a while and was running low on supplies."

Inuyasha was fuming. He ignored the small clench in his heart at the thought of Kagome hurting again because of him and instead focused on his anger. Yes, he was angry…very, _very_ angry. At whom? Did it matter? He was mad at Kagome for leaving; he was mad at Sango for being so bitchy; he was mad at himself for being an ass.

As he stood there baring the brunt of his friends' scrutiny, he felt something in his soul shift and suddenly, he felt extreme guilt wash over him. He never wanted to hurt Kagome; she was his first true friend. How could he always be so cruel to the one person who had never judged him? _Wait…wasn't I just cursing her existence?_ An involuntary shudder ran along his spine and he cringed at the sudden feeling of having his heart and soul torn to ribbons.

What in Kami's name was going on?

He shook his head and a rush of insane anger overcame him, completely obliterating anything else he had felt previous. Even through the burning rage he felt, something else didn't feel right.

It felt like he was being toyed with; as if that amount of anger wasn't his own.

Before he could even begin to question what was going on within himself, he had a calming sensation thrum through his soul. It was familiar to him in both a good and bad way. It soothed his anger, yes but it also left him feeling suspiciously empty.

He always had the exact same sensation when he was with Kikyou.

Faster than he could pinpoint that stray thought down and study it, his mind was filled with images of Kikyou and how he always felt when he was around her. Only the questioning voice of the houshi was finally able to stir his mind from lustful – if not intentional – images of a naked Kikyou.

"Inuyasha!" Miroku nearly shouted, the grip on his friends shoulder tightening momentarily before shaking him. "Are we planning to stay here, continue with the search and hope Kagome can find us when she returns or go back to Lady Kaede's?"

The hanyou blinked his eyes several times, his fragmented mind trying to form coherent thoughts out of the monk's words. _What the hell is going on with me?_ He shook his head in an attempt to drive away the feeling of having cotton lining the inside of his skull. He turned his blurry eyes to Miroku and could read the concern in his violet orbs and wondered exactly what was wrong with him.

He felt disjointed and not altogether there. Like he had been two places at once somehow or been living through two different sets of eyes and for the life of him, Inuyasha couldn't decipher one image from another; couldn't tell what was a lie or what was truth. Looking from the monk to the demon slayer and back again, he mumbled a barely audible "Back to Kaede's" before he was gone in a flash of silver and red.

Miroku watched his dog-eared friend bound off through the trees and couldn't help the trickle of worry that slithered up his spine. Something very bad was going on and something even worse was soon to happen, he was sure.

"Miroku? Are you alright?" Sango questioned as she pressed a reassuring palm into his shoulder. Concern shone brightly in her mahogany eyes and Miroku mentally recited all the reasons why he loved her.

"Hai Sango," he whispered, his voice sounding thin and tired, "but I fear something very wrong is happening around us and Inuyasha is at the center of it. Did you see what happened a moment ago? He looked as if he wasn't sure who he was; as if he was trying to figure out his own life."


	7. Chapter 7

As Kagome settled down for breakfast, her mother sat across from her with a cup of tea. She had plenty of time today, since she was no longer in school and only had to visit the mall for supplies, and she knew that her mother was just waiting to ask her something. After she had gotten a few forkfuls of her okaa-san's delicious food down, her mother set down her cup of tea and addressed her.

"Kagome are you going back today? I know you've only been here three days but that is usually all the longer you stay before leaving." Her mother smiled at her daughter warmly as she studied her. Her little girl had done a lot of growing up lately and she knew it was mostly due to her extended travels to the past.

The young miko returned her mother's heartfelt smile with one of her own and swallowed the bite of toast in her mouth. "Actually no, I'm not, at least not to stay. I will probably go back tonight to check on Shippou then come home again. I have to meet someone once I get back and I figured that since I had so long to wait, I would spend the time here."

A mischievous gleam entered momma Higurashi's eyes and she grinned. "Meeting someone? Who could that be? Have you finally found a boyfriend? Is he youkai?" During the first year of her daughter's travels, Mrs. Higurashi had known Kagome had loved Inuyasha. However, she had consoled her daughter so many times over the hanyou's careless handling of her feelings and now she only hoped that Kagome could move on. Her daughter deserved someone wonderful and the fact that there was a good chance that person would end up a demon didn't bother her at all.

Kagome blushed furiously at her mother's insinuation and waved her hands in the air dismissively. "Not that way momma!" She sputtered as she tried to organize her thoughts. "Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru's father contacted me over a week ago. Sesshoumaru is under a curse and apparently I am the only one who can lift it."

She hastily spit out the rest of the details concerning her rendezvous with the late Demon Lord and watched as her mother's eyes widened comically. Once her explanation was complete, she cleared her throat. "Momma? What is it?"

Her mother blinked several times before speaking. "Nothing dear. I am just amazed by how many different things you have to tackle in the past. I know they are all things you have to do but I wish you didn't always get hurt so badly."

The young priestess's eyes softened at her mother. She was always so dearly worried about her and it warmed her heart to know that at least she could always count on her family to care about her. "I know momma but as soon as this whole mess is over I can come home and stay here. Oh! I forgot…we had some good luck before I came back. Sesshoumaru gave me another ten jewel shards!"

Momma's eyes widened, "He…he helped you? I mean, I know you just told me you were going to have to try to help him with a curse but I always had the impression he was more of an enemy."

Kagome smiled brilliantly at her mother and told her about the incident with the bear youkai and the Demon Lord's entourage. Once more her mother looked amazed. "Wow. He doesn't really sound so bad. Must just be Inuyasha."

Mother and daughter snickered together at that and greeted a winded Souta who had just burst into the kitchen. He grinned at them both and plopped down into a chair to promptly inhale his cereal. "Kagome, what are you going to do today?" He asked after taking a bite of his breakfast.

Tapping a finger against her chin in a thoughtful gesture, Kagome answered. "I don't really know Souta. It's a Saturday and all but I don't have anything to do besides go to the mall for supplies. Why?"

The younger sibling swallowed his current mouthful of food before taking a swig of orange juice, "Would you mind if I tagged along? It seems like it has been ages since I actually got to see you."

The miko smiled lovingly at her brother, "Of course you can! I'll even let you help me carry what I buy!"

Kagome and Souta were walking slowly down one of the streets of downtown Tokyo, both laden with bags from their shopping excursion. The siblings were busy scouting around for somewhere that looked like a good place to eat when a voice sounded out behind them, "Higurashi!"

Both turned to look over their shoulders and saw Hojou walking to catch up with them, waving and smiling the entire way. Kagome froze where she was and turned an anxious gaze on her brother. He caught it instantly and asked in a quiet voice, "Sis? What's wrong?"

Looking into Souta's concerned cinnamon eyes, she sighed. "I just feel so bad all the time. Hojou is the only person from school that really ever keeps in contact with me and I feel guilty always telling him all these lies about being sick. He's always been a wonderful friend and I feel like I am betraying his trust somehow."

The younger Higurashi put a comforting hand on his sister's shoulder. "Kagome, why not just tell him the truth?"

Her blue eyes widened exponentially. "Are you kidding? That would be madness Souta! I would like to, but what's going to stop him from calling the loony bin on me? I mean, you guys didn't even believe me until you saw Inuyasha."

Souta looked contemplative for a moment before responding. "That is true sis, but Hojou has always believed you and I think he would even believe the story about the well. Besides, you need someone here that knows _you_ besides just your family."

Kagome took a sidelong glance at Hojou who was mere feet away before focusing back on her brother, "Do you really think so? Do you think he'd believe me?"

He grinned widely and squeezed her shoulder before moving his hand. "Well, there's only one way to find out. If he doesn't believe you, we can always just say that one of your illnesses has affected your imagination."

Kagome, being the mature woman she is, promptly stuck her tongue out at Souta and turned to smile at her high school friend. "Hello Hojou! What are you doing today?"

The young man's smile brightened as he looked at the small miko with adoration shining in his eyes. "Just running a few errands how are you? I haven't seen you in quite awhile. No new illnesses or anything?"

Souta took the chance to butt in and steal the conversation, "Actually, she is doing wonderful! We were just about to get some lunch…want to join us?"

Twenty minutes later found them at a table far from any prying noses in a quaint café. The server had already made a round and taken drink orders when Hojou turned to Kagome to strike up a conversation.

"You really are looking quite well Kagome. I take it the doctor's finally got you cured of everything?" The young man asked with concern shining in his warm brown eyes.

Rubbing the back of her neck in an obviously nervous manner, Kagome shot him a sheepish grin, "Actually Hojou…that is why you were invited to lunch with us. There is something I need to tell you."

Genuine worry overcame the concern in Hojou's expression and he reached across the table to grasp the miko's non-fidgeting hand in his. "Kagome? You…you're not…dying…are you?"

A giggle born of anxiety and embarrassment bubbled up from her throat and she moved her other hand to pat the top of his, "Nothing like that Hojou. Actually…I've never been sick. Not once, other than minor colds."

Now confusion reigned supreme on the young man's face. "I don't get it. You missed all that school and your grandfather always said you were sick and you always looked so tired…"

Giving the hand holding hers a reassuring squeeze she spoke softly, "Hojou…do you trust me? Because…I have something really…big…and kind of otherworldly to tell you. I know it won't sound believable and please don't think I am crazy but I really think you deserve to know the truth…about me."

The concern was back as well as skepticism. He eyed her warily, "Of course I trust you Kagome-chan and I wouldn't think you were crazy…but…what could possibly be the real reason for everything?"

The server brought their drinks and took their orders, giving Kagome time to calm down and arrange her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, Kagome blurted out "I'm a time traveler."

_Way to break things to him easy Kagome. Now he's looking at you like you grew an extra head._

"I-I don't understand. Time travel isn't possible." He shook his head clearly not believing her. Hojou turned to look at Souta and then back at Kagome. Both siblings looked deadly serious. "Is it?"

Souta laughed outright at the look of utter bewilderment on Hojou's face. "I'll say! Kagome has been traveling through time for years now."

Curious brown eyes locked with sapphire. "Is that true? Really?"

Nodding and taking a sip of her soda, Kagome smiled warmly at the perplexed boy. "Yeah it is. See, on my fifteenth birthday I went into the well house on the shrine grounds looking for Buyo. Once I was down by the well, I found him but something else found me. A centipede demon came through the well and pulled me five hundred years into the past."

Hojou promptly choked on his drink.

After assuring her friend could breath, Kagome continued her tale only stopping when the waitress came around to bring their food. Once everyone had eaten and her story was complete, Hojou was gazing at her with questioning eyes. _Well, at least he hasn't declared me mentally unsound yet._

"So," he started, trying to sort through everything he had been told within the last forty-five minutes, "you're telling me that the reason you missed so much school was because you were traveling into the past to battle demons and complete a jewel that is supposed to be a myth?"

Kagome nodded, "Basically. I know it's a lot to take in and if you don't believe me, I understand. I'm not so sure I would believe me either, were I in your position. It's just…you've been such a good friend to me for so long and I feel so _guilty_ about lying to you for all these years."

Hojou regarded her carefully. The tale she had spun was nothing short of mind-blowing and if it weren't for the fact that he could _see_ the honesty in her and Souta's eyes, he wouldn't have even considered it as plausible. He needed more though. "I don't suppose you have any proof? I hate to sound like I don't trust you after all, but you have to admit it's pretty fantastic."

The miko nodded absentmindedly while tapping a finger against her chin. Before she could say anything, Souta said "Why not show him some of your battle scars?"

Her eyes widened in shock, "Are you kidding? How is that proof? It isn't like I am the only person with scars Souta."

"No…but you're the only person I know with scars from fangs and claws and arrows Kagome." He countered while sticking his tongue out at her.

That phrase caused Hojou's attention to snap to her immediately. "You really have scars like that Kagome?"

The miko sighed while nodding, "Yes I do. But like I said, there isn't a whole lot that would distinguish them as such."

Souta perked up all of a sudden and his eyes glimmered in triumph. "Why don't you just come back to the shrine with us? I am sure there is something there that could be proof enough."

Kagome flopped onto her bed with a deep sigh and burrowed her head into her pillow. "What a long and exhausting day." She murmured into the air, her mouth gaping in a huge yawn.

Long and exhausting was one way to describe the day…however, Kagome had a better description that summed it up in one word: hell. She and Souta had spent the rest of the day explaining things further to Hojou as well as Kagome showing him a few of her scars and demonstrating her miko powers. It had been enough to amaze him, sure…but the only thing that had totally convinced the persistent young man was Kagome taking him into the well house and watching and she disappeared in the time slip, only to reappear seconds later.

Of course, she had been worried that she would attract Inuyasha's attention so after her arrival back in her own era, she had promptly sealed the well. After spending the entire afternoon – and well into the evening hours – getting Hojou to believe her, Kagome had no desire whatsoever to face a temperamental inu hanyou.

She rose from her comfortable bed just long enough to shed her clothes from the day and slip into some soft pajamas before returning directly to bed. Kami she was tired.

Grasping the shoulder straps of her yellow backpack tightly, Kagome chewed on her lower lip while staring down into the depths of the well's gaping maw. It was time to return to the past; time to face the hanyou that hurt her so much and his late father.

It was time for Kagome to step into yet another role fashioned for her.

Normally, the idea of being forced into roles that weren't of her own design – or even her own desire – would bother her. Yes, she spent the majority of her life in the past and yes it was because she chose to…however, it was someone else's plan that had her pulled down the well in the first place. She loved her friends greatly and had never once considered abandoning them but that didn't mean she had to be happy with everything that she herself had suffered.

All the things that no one really knew about.

With a heartfelt sigh, Kagome removed the sealing spell before she sat on the lip of the well and swung her legs over the edge. After a silent prayer to whatever god might be listening, she leaped from the edge and was awash in blue light.

Within moments, the young miko could smell the beautifully clean air of the Sengoku Jidai and smiled. Truly she loved the era. Grasping a hold of the vines that littered the well, Kagome climbed slowly up and was soon vaulting over the edge.

She just stood for a moment, breathing in the air and gazing at the beauty of the feudal era. No one was there to greet her which wasn't really a surprise since no one knew exactly when she would return. Taking in another lungful of clean air, Kagome tightened her grip on her backpack and started the trek to Kaede's village.

Upon reaching the very outskirts of the humble village, Kagome heard a joyfully squealed rendition of her name and smiled, bracing herself for impact. Soon, a red ball of fur was streaking across the remaining feet between her and the old miko's hut only to come crashing into her chest. Tiny arms wrapped around her torso as best they could and she returned the embrace happily.

"Kagome! I am _so_ happy you're back! We didn't know how long you'd be gone and Inuyasha was grouchy the entire time." The young kit exclaimed, leaning back in his mother's arms to turn his shining green eyes on hers.

Smiling fondly at the young fox, she ruffled his hair. "Is that so? Well, I am back now and we can start the search again in the morning. Where is everyone?"

Grinning widely, he jumped from her arms and started walking. Kagome took the cue and followed him. "Sango, Miroku, Kirara and Kaede are all at the hut. We've been waiting for you." He looked back to assure he was following and quietly whispered, "I don't know where Inuyasha is. We haven't seen him for a few days."

Kagome nodded sadly already well aware of the location of the absent hanyou. After so many years of the same thing, it really wasn't hard to discern where he would be when there was down time. Tears pricked at her eyes at the thought of the half-demon but she willed them away. _No more crying over him._

Easing aside the flap in the doorway, Kagome stepped inside the quaint hut and smiled at her friends. "Hey guys. Sorry I was gone so long but I haven't been to see my family for awhile and since we got so many shards before I left, I really wanted to spend some time with them."

Sango smiled warmly at her friend while levering herself from the floor to crush the tiny miko in a hug. "Don't worry about it Kagome. We knew you were leaving."

Miroku was soon to follow and wrapped the priestess in a hug of his own, his hands staying in respectable places for once. "We are happy to have you back Lady Kagome. I trust your family is well?"

Before she could answer, a very grumpy hanyou stormed in the door, nearly ripping the mat down and glared angrily at Kagome. "Where the hell have you been wench? I don't remember telling you that you could leave!"

Leveling a cool gaze on the male whom she had loved so very much, Kagome retorted, "I don't remember having to ask you for permission! Besides, I am back now and we can resume the hunt in the morning."

Turning her back to him in indication that she was already through with the conversation, Kagome walked to the side of the hut and set her bag down. Opening the top of the bulging pack, she withdrew several items she had purchased for her friends along with her bathing supplies. Grinning at Sango, she asked "Care for a bath Sango? I brought back some new shampoo and conditioner you might like."

The Taijiya nodded and strapped her Hiraikotsu to her back. Turning to glare at the monk, she bit out "You stay here houshi. Sit on your hands if you must."

That said she left the hut to await her friend outside. Kagome finished handing out herbs to Kaede, crayons and coloring books for Shippou and some old scrolls from her grandfather to Miroku. When she was finished, she gathered her bathing necessities in her arms and turned to walk out the door. The angry, red-clothed form of Inuyasha blocked her way.

"Excuse me?" He barked as his amber orbs narrowed. "You just got back and you're already leaving for a bath? And what's this bullshit about not leaving until tomorrow?"

Heaving a sigh and pinching the bridge of her nose with an unoccupied hand, Kagome answered him wearily. "Inuyasha, I just got back…do we have to fight already? Besides what is so bad about resuming our journey on a new morning?"

Noticing his eyes narrowing on her small figure further, she raised her head and set her jaw in a defiant angle before skirting completely around the irritated hanyou and leaving him to sputter in indignation.

After a nice long soak in the nearby hot springs, Kagome and Sango returned to the village, only to stop on their tracks at the site that met their eyes. Inuyasha stood away from the elder miko's hut talking with none other than Kikyou. Exchanging glances with one another, both young women resumed their trek to the hut and steadfastly ignored the two.

Kagome had just resituated her belongings in her pack and settled down besides Sango to enjoy the delicious stew Kaede had prepared when Inuyasha walked into the hut with Kikyou hot on his heels. No one even bothered looking at him which caused him to growl.

Seeing as how the vocal display sincerely startled them all and forced their attention in his direction, Inuyasha leveled a glare at them all. "Since Kagome seems to think its okay to just take off, Kikyou is going to join us in the hunt for the shards."


	8. Chapter 8

A small head of raven hair peeked in through a heavy wooden door, bright cinnamon eyes scanning the room for her lord and savior. The rustling of papers grabbed her attention and her eyes flitted to the desk situated off to the side of the room. Rin's eyes saddened a little, seeing her father figure sitting there behind that large desk, rifling through scrolls and signing missives. Anyone else that had looked upon the Great Dog Demon would have seen nothing short of a studious and attentive lord; however, Rin was not anyone else.

Although his face remained placid and unchanging, Rin could always see loneliness in the depths of his golden gaze. Not much was known to her about the lord's past but she could see well enough his future. She saw every time she would catch his eyes. He was incredibly lonely and felt secluded from everything. Of course, most of the time he played it off as if he wanted it as such; that he needed no one and nothing from anyone else.

But she could _see_ it. Not always was it strong or even just loneliness. Sometimes, he looked lost, like he couldn't find his way home. Other times, it would just seem as if he was wallowing in despair. Rin might have been young still but she had grown to know the one that so many feared and she was probably the only one that would ever know what he feared.

Rin knew.

Sesshoumaru saw the world in shades of gray, she thought. As if nothing really mattered because there would never be another color to paint anything in. He contented himself with ruling his lands and he picked fights with his half-brother just to have contact with something other than four walls. He feared living his life alone and then fading away and becoming nondescript because there was never anyone to care about him.

She had to suppress a smile.

Yes, he knew that Rin cared and that AhUn and even Jaken cared. But he wanted something more. He wanted to be loved. Of course Rin knew that he would never admit to such a folly. After all, he proclaimed to all that love was a weakness; an emotion perpetuated by the pathetic race of humans. She knew better though. On more than one occasion she had caught a glimmer of longing flash across his eyes when he would inconspicuously watch Kagome-chan interact with her companions.

A small smile managed to curl her lips at the thought. Even if he would never in a million years admit it, Rin knew that Sesshoumaru was taken with the young miko. Not that it was hard to understand why. Kagome had a way of making everyone she every came in contact with feel special; like they were the only person in the world that mattered. Even though she was technically still a child, Rin knew that sometimes, Sesshoumaru wanted to be in the same space as one who got to bask in the priestess' light.

It was all of this that was actually the reason behind her seeking him out. Rin had wanted to visit Kagome again ever since she had come to save her and Jaken from the demon to thank her but she also knew it would do Sesshoumaru good to see her again. Every time they would cross paths with Kagome and her friends, Sesshoumaru would seem a little warmer for the rest of the day. Oh, she knew it wasn't anything as strong as love but she thought it border lined on affection maybe…

Not that it really mattered because he still needed it.

"Lord Sesshoumaru?" She finally spoke, causing him to look up at her. She was sure he had known she was there the entire time anyway.

The Demon Lord raised an eyebrow. "Hai Rin?"

"Do you think that maybe we could visit Kagome-chan?" Her voice was sweet and hopeful, even though she knew her father figure would never let her down if he could help it. Too many had the times been where she had nearly called him father.

Inwardly, he sighed. He had known Rin was standing just inside his study for some time and had easily picked up on the changes in her emotions. Actually, he was rather impressed that so much time had passed since that incident without her asking to visit the miko. Yes, he had given Kagome a 'thank you' in the form of some jewel shards…well, okay…he had actually sent a missive throughout his territories that any demon holding a Shikon fragment would turn it over to him or personally meet his claws. Ah, the wonders of telepathy.

At any rate, he supposed that even though Rin knew Kagome had already received a show of gratitude from him that she would want to do something herself. Besides that, Sesshoumaru was more than aware of how much his ward adored the priestess.

An almost smile threatened to touch his lips then. Adored was a rather light term for how Rin thought of the miko. In fact, Sesshoumaru was sure the child was beginning to idolize her. _Although,_ he mused to himself as he studied said child carefully, _I can't necessarily say it is a bad thing. That miko has done more good for Rin then anyone I have at the castle._

Absentmindedly, he gave a curt nod of his head to his ward that was watching him intently and waiting for an answer to her question. "Perhaps tomorrow Rin. It is drawing late now."

The girl nodded with a grin and whispered a quiet 'thank you' before turning and walking out, shutting the door behind her with a soft 'click'.

Sesshoumaru sighed when Rin was away from the door and slumped down in his chair. Although he really had no reason to tell his ward they couldn't visit the miko, he wasn't sure he wanted to. The girl was far too intriguing for his own good and Rin was far too attached to her. He was sure the two females would be inseparable for the duration of the stopover with his half-brothers pack.

A low growl of displeasure threatened to loosen from his throat while finely chiseled lips pulled back in a silent snarl. Just the thought of the hanyou irritated him nowadays. He didn't truly _hate_ Inuyasha – hate was a strong word saved for…things…such as Naraku – but he sure as hell despised him. Contrary to popular belief, the reason for his loathsome feelings weren't because he was a half-demon anymore.

Truth be told, he wasn't sure it ever had been.

There were times when he would remember being far younger and playing with the tiny pup, laughing and running away from him even though Sesshoumaru could catch him before he could say 'go'. He had been angry at Inuyasha when he had been drawn into battle over their father's lands and the whelp was unable to fight for his birthright because he had been stupid enough to fall prey to a trap and get himself sealed in slumber to the Tree of Ages.

No…the feeling of detest for his younger sibling had come into effect shortly after seeing the way he treated the miko, surprising as that may be…even to himself. Now the emotions that were pinned to Inuyasha were doubling in force.

All because his damned curiosity refused to be satiated.

Yes, he had left the miko and her companions that day but only long enough to once more check upon his entourage. Then he had returned in the blink of an eye, only to come upon a conversation and his brother nowhere in sight. As he shifted his position from the ground up into a nearby tree soundlessly, his pointed ears easily picked up the excitement and genuine gratitude the miko had in her voice over his version of a thank you.

Then, he had heard the conversation shift – as well as the auras of those partaking in it – and the tang of salt water assailed his nose. Sesshoumaru had listened intently to Kagome, the bitter sorrow in her voice palatable, and could feel the emotions that radiated from her as the nuances in her answers wavered.

Kami but he had wanted to hunt his brother down and _beat_ him for acting the way he had to the soft-hearted female…which was something he didn't fully understand. He did, in all technicality, owe the miko a debt for saving and protecting those under his care when he was unable, so he was willing to blame his errant emotions on that.

It was something that was supposed to be adhered to after all.

However, Sesshoumaru had never seen the use of lies and would not resort to such…even to himself. He well knew that it wasn't just a debt that made him want to hurt the hanyou…

Actually, were he completely honest with himself, the Taiyoukai knew it was because the girl was special and so much more unique than any other creature he had ever met. Even though it was obvious that she felt deep pain from Inuyasha's actions, she couldn't bring herself to hate him for what he did to her. The miko couldn't even stand to not forgive the whelp because it wasn't in her heart to hold against him his traitorous actions. Sesshoumaru wasn't sure if Kagome could ever truly hate anyone –save for Naraku – and he had been witness to the amazing feats her enormous heart and gentle nature could accomplish.

How the hanyou could even begin to chose to spend his time with the shell of his former miko lover when the priestess from the future was such a better option was beyond him. He had come to the realization that Kagome would make a wonderful mate and mother a few years past and had even been tormented a time or two by slips of dreams that featured the raven-haired beauty by his side.

And yes it was indeed torment for the Taiyoukai. Not for the fact that she was human either; he had never really hated humans and everything about the miko made him confident in his decision to not despise them as he had so wanted. No, the Demon Lord felt such torture at his errant dreamscapes because of the simple fact that he knew how much Kagome loved Inuyasha. Even through everything the half-breed had put her through, she remained loyal to him.

Upon their last encounter, however, Sesshoumaru had a moment of insight that caused a very unusual feeling to swell in the region of his heart.

It hadn't been hard to see the rift that had come between the hanyou and the miko, and Sesshoumaru was certain it was due to the mutt's inability to make a choice between the two women. For as long as he had known the woman, Kagome had always held an inextinguishable fire in her eyes and a passion to her soul that had rivaled any other being he had ever met, male or female, youkai or ningen. She had been born to heal the hearts and souls of others and did so willingly, without ever making a request for herself.

Except for the love of one ungrateful - and obviously blind – hanyou.

A rather minute demand in the face of it all and even that had been denied to her. Inuyasha's rejection of the gentle miko's heart was taking its toll on her. He had even managed to convince the woman that she was completely undeserving of love.

Her heart was slowly becoming cold to everything and her soul was steadily dying.

Sesshoumaru found himself disturbed by the idea of Kagome coming to resemble the one she was supposed to be reincarnated from. She was nothing like the cold, heartless, detached golem of the resurrected miko. She was made for great things and was never intended to be destroyed in the manner that was slowly eating her away.

The inu lord gave into a low growl at the entire situation. He wasn't supposed to care what happened to the female; she was supposed to remain inconsequential. Yes, she was the key to defeating Naraku and yes, she was a unique individual…but he wasn't supposed to become involved with her past the defeat of the vile hanyou.

And she…

…she wasn't supposed to be able to pick and tear and the barriers he had so studiously built around his heart.

A heavy-hearted sigh tailed the previous growl as Sesshoumaru stood from his desk and made his way to his chambers. Damn the miko and her tender heart! Kagome was steadfastly wearing down his iron will to keep everyone at arms length for he found himself wanting nothing more than to crush her small body to his and sooth away the ache left in her heart by his half-brothers' betrayal.

He had mechanically removed his armor, swords and silks to don a dark blue pair of silken sleeping pants. Dark blue like the color of a certain priestess' eyes, he mused. With yet another uncharacteristic sigh, the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands settled himself within the sheets of his bed to await the dreams of said priestess that were sure to invade his sleep.

Silence reigned supreme in the hut of the elder miko. The hanyou's golden orbs stared down his companions, daring them to challenge his word. His companions wore looks of anger and shock, sorrow and confusion while their gazes shifted between Inuyasha and Kikyou and the still quiet and unresponsive Kagome.

The atmosphere was rigid and tense with anticipation and everyone was watching Kagome in apprehension while she continued slipping morsels of stew past her soft lips. Her head was cast down as if intently studying her food as she ate, her hands never shaking as they lifted the chopsticks repeatedly. Inuyasha's amber eyes were trained on her, waiting for the scent of tears to invade his olfactory and his furry ears twitched and swiveled for a quiet sob or the utterance of the subduing command.

Still she sat.

Only the sound of chopsticks grazing the side of a wooden bowl occasionally projected through the air until soon, they dropped into the dish with a clatter. Kagome handed the eating utensils back to the old miko with a small smile.

"Thank you Kaede. It was delicious as always." Her voice, though soft and melodious, echoed off the walls in the now cramped hut and caused everyone to jump slightly in their seats.

Gracefully, she lifted her self from the floor, the folds of her deep purple kimono falling around her feet in a rustle of silk. Small, dainty hands lined with calluses from swordplay smoothed out the faint wrinkles in the delicate cloth before she lifted her head and addressed the hanyou and undead miko.

"Hello Inuyasha, Kikyou." A sad smile curled her lips briefly before she took tentative steps toward the doorway of the hut.

"Kagome?" Sango said, watching her dearest friend in confusion. All present had expected fireworks. Instead, all the miko provided were softly spoken words and sad smiles. When her sister turned to regard her in answer to her name, Sango bit her bottom lip to keep from gasping at the flicker of intense pain that flashed through Kagome's eyes, washing them to nearly pitch black; before it was gone leaving only wounded stoicism.

The Taijiya shifted in her seat, deeply disturbed by the sudden frigidity of her normally warm friend. Locking her mahogany eyes with Kagome's deep blue ones, she spoke hesitantly. "Where are you going? It's going to be getting late soon."

Another painfully sad smile tilted the gentle miko's lips and Sango felt her heart clench. Her immediate thought was that it was too late to save her; Kagome's soul was dimming and her heart was fading into obscurity.

"I'll be fine Sango. It's just that I always bring you guys things from my time and I thought I would go see if I could find something to bring my family the next time I go home before everyone closes shop." That said, she turned to continue her trek out the door and was stopped again, this time by Shippou.

"Do you want some company momma? I could come with you." His brilliant green eyes were wide and hopeful, the kit wanting nothing more than to do everything he could to bring the warmth back into her smile.

Midnight blue eyes smiled down at the sweet fox even as she declined, "You go ahead and stay here sweetie. You need to finish eating. After I am done with my 'shopping' I am going to do my nightly routine and then I'll be back. If you want to wait up for me, maybe we can make smores."

A bright grin immediately crawled across the kitsune's cherubic face, "Alright momma! Be careful."

Grabbing up her bow, quiver and backpack and slipping her sword into her obi, Kagome left her companions staring after her in shock.

Nearly an hour later found Kagome at the nearest river, the treasures for her family tied up in a neat silken bundle placed against a tree alongside her weapons as she stripped off her fighting kimono and slipped into the water. Quickly scrubbing her skin free of the light sheen of sweat that had accumulated during her training, Kagome let a sigh escape her lips.

Now that Inuyasha had invited Kikyou to join – even though he said she was there as back-up for when Kagome went home – the young miko wondered if she even had a reason to remain. Although she had been training daily and pushing her body farther than she ever had, she was still unsure if she even came close to the undead miko's battle prowess. Of course, Kagome had never seen anything overtly spectacular in Kikyou's fighting tactics – as she seemed to prefer firing arrows from well outside the fray – there was still the fact that Inuyasha claimed her to be a fierce warrior.

As she lifted her body from the water to dry and dress, Kagome felt the tell-tale symptoms of depression settling in her soul. It had been more than obvious that her companions had expected her to lash out in some way at the hanyou's proclamation but she had found herself oddly numb. The normal pain of her heart twisting in her chest had been dulled to an aching pressure and Kagome vaguely wondered if she was simply dying inside.

Another sorrow-filled sigh escaped her petal-soft lips as she settled down amidst her belongings to await the late Inu no Taisho. The sun was just setting over the land, casting the world of Feudal Japan in beautiful shades of gold, pink and blue. Pale lids slid closed over troubled midnight depths as the futuristic miko tried to calm the aching in her soul.

A presence was slowly making itself known and Kagome knew that the late Taiyoukai was in attendance. She had hoped to be a bit calmer before facing him again; she hadn't wanted Sugimi to feel bad anymore than he already did, though she was sure he already knew of his youngest sons' newest decision.

Slowly, Kagome's sorrow and fatigue laden eyelids opened, revealing eyes that had turned a near black color in her grief. Instantly, they caught on the breathtaking vision of the deceased inu lord. Even as a specter, he was insanely beautiful and Kagome suddenly felt unworthy to even be around him, dead or living.

"Good evening my dear." The deep bass voice wrapped around her like a balm to her tortured soul and Kagome felt tears prick at her eyes. How badly she just wanted to listen to him speak as she curled into a tight ball to fade into nothingness.

Lowering her eyes from the brightly burning suns of the dog demon, the miko spoke, and her voice was naught but a tormented whisper on the breeze. "Good evening milord."

Once more he startled her by placing a strong yet gentle claw-tipped finger under her chin to raise her eyes to meet his. He had been alarmed at the veil that seemed to envelope the normally fiery young miko in sorrow and anguish and as he gazed into her blackened eyes, he felt his breath catch in his throat. Sugimi could almost see her very soul withering away and he inwardly cursed his son for his stupidity.

Taking in a deep breath and smelling the taint of salt that wafted from the miko, he knelt down in front of her, his hand moving from her chin to cup her cheek. She leaned into the gentle touch and her eyes screwed tightly closed, a rogue tear or two escaping the prison of her eyelids to linger on sooty lashes before trailing down porcelain cheeks. Kagome knew it was inappropriate to act so familiarly with a demon lord, deceased or not, but she couldn't help the reaction to his touch.

It had been so very long since she had felt the comforting contact of anyone and she wanted to enjoy it as long as he would provide it. The apparition of the great dog demon made her feel safe and cared for in a way that both soothed her soul and tore at her heart. How she longed to be able to feel so comforted by someone in the living realm, for she was sure she wouldn't see him again. Or if she did, it would be in passing as his last visit was.

The thought caused her heart to lurch into her throat.

Why did it have to be so that the one being who had offered her some semblance of simple comfort and caring was no longer living? Would things have been different had they chanced a meeting when he still walked the Earth in all his regal glory?

"Kagome," Sugimi spoke quietly as he wiped the tears from her cheeks with tender hands, "why do you hurt so? Is it because of the undead miko joining your ranks?"

She trembled under his touch and more tears broke their levies to burn paths of sorrow down her flushed cheeks. Drawing in a shaky breath, Kagome choked down the sobs and opened tear-filled blue-black eyes to lock with burnished gold.

"That's part of it." She sighed heavily as the last vestiges of saline slithered down her cheeks to splatter against her folded hands. "I just…is there even a reason for me to continue this quest? Now that Kikyou is here I have no purpose with the group. And it hurts to be around her."

A knowing look entered the late Taiyoukai's eyes as he stared into her pain filled orbs. "Even if you feel you have no purpose in your current entourage does not mean you have no purpose in this era. The path Inuyasha walks with the dead priestess is a dark one and I doubt that you would escape to your time and leave the lives of your friends in her hands. You are much too caring and self-sacrificing for that, even if it would benefit you."

Bitter laughter escaped rosy lips as a sardonic smile crossed her features. "I can't deny that. I won't leave Miroku's fate in the hands of her. She would sooner see him dead than assure that he be the first since his grandfather to live to a ripe old age."

The pale, chiseled lips of the dog demon before her tilted down in a frown. "What do you mean when saying that it hurts to be around the resurrected miko? The obvious heartache isn't what you speak of."

Grief blackened orbs lightened to a haunting sky blue color before Sugimi's very eyes and he bit back a gasp of shock at the sight. Her voice was a reverent whisper when she spoke next, her words so soft were he not youkai he would never have heard her. "It hurts more when I am close to her. She is trying to take the rest of my soul and it gets even worse for a few days a month, regardless of her proximity to me. I fear that she might wait until a time when I am weakened to steal what remains."

Anger, white-hot and raging flowed throughout the inuyoukai's being. Not only was the corpse attempting to take the girls soul his daft son was actually admitting the golem safe trespass into his group! The fingers of the hand not still cradling the miko's cheek twitched with the desire to claw and tear at anything he could sink them into.

Kagome could sense his rising anger and although he most likely wouldn't remain in her realm long enough to even make an attempt at bloodshed, she didn't like seeing him that way and thought to distract him.

"I have an answer to your request," she said timidly, projecting an outward calm from her aura to wrap around the distraught youkai.

Visibly he settled down and his eyes went from murderous to anxious. She could easily read the emotions in those twin suns and she knew he was expecting her to turn him down.

Apparently, he didn't really know her that well.

Giving the great demon a small, but warm, smile Kagome lifted one of her hands from her lap to lay gently over the much larger one against her cheek. "I thought about it for a long time…and I have decided to help Sesshoumaru."

He smiled then, a warm and happy wash of emotion flooding his eyes. "What made you decide to do it?"

The miko's stormy eyes settled into a deep sapphire, sparkling like twin jewels in the moonlight and an affection smile curled her soft lips. "Well, you said you've been keeping an eye out on everything, so you know what happened with me and Sesshoumaru a week or so ago." At his nod she continued the sorrow in her voice lifting. "He…I…it's just that I never thought I'd see the day where he would make any kind of show of gratitude. He always seemed to cold and distant…untouchable."

Sugimi merely smiled and nodded, indicating for her to continue. He knew there was more to it than that.

"And…and there's Shippou. Really, my mind so badly wanted me to turn you away; to tell you I wouldn't do it because I value my life. Unfortunately, my heart didn't agree. And every time I would watch Shippou playing, I could put myself in your situation. I love that little fox so, _so_ much…and I don't know if I would be able to stand being in your position, if the one I needed to help protect my little boy refused." Her face lifted to the sky, stars reflecting beautifully in the midnight depths of her eyes and moonlight catching on the tears that spotted her lashes.

"Even if it will cost me my life, I'll do whatever I can to help Sesshoumaru. For you, for him, for Rin…for Shippou. Maybe if I keep doing all I can to help others, they can live a happy life. That's all I really want anymore…all I really wanted to begin with and all I ever asked for." Kagome's head lowered, raven fringes of hair falling across her eyes as the scent of tears increased.

"I was a fool," she whispered against the night, the goings on of earlier flashing through her mind once more. "The only thing I ever really wanted was to be loved. Ever since this whole mess with the jewel started all those years ago, I never felt like I belonged anywhere. Demons aren't a known presence in my time and I am not from this time. I don't belong in either world anymore…"

Before Kagome was aware of him even moving, she was wrapped up in the warm safety of the dog demon's arms. She froze at first, her body tensing at the unfamiliar action, before her heart gave in to the feeling of comfort. Her small form sagged against him as her strong arms wrapped around his waist, gripping the soft material of his silken kimono in her deft fingers like a lifeline. The tears started slowly and silently, but soon she had her face buried against his shoulder as her body was racked with deep sobs. Sugimi simply cradled her to his body, one strong hand bracing her head against his chest as the other rubbed imaginary patterns along her back.

"Shhh. It's okay little one. You will always belong in both eras. There are people both in this time and yours that love you dearly. Don't worry…you will find someone that is worthy of having you…that will want you to be by their side for as long as you let them. Promise me, my daughter that you will not let your heart hide away? Hold it close and let it heal but don't keep it from the light." The late demon lord murmured into her hair as the miko calmed, her breathing slowing and her tears stopping.

She pulled away from him then, to glance up at his face with a quirked eyebrow. "Daughter?"

A warm, bright smiled crept over his lips, "Of course! If I had ever had a daughter Kagome, I would have wanted her to be just like you. Since I didn't, I thought maybe I could just borrow you?"

Finally, a smile that only Kagome possessed split her face and Sugimi felt such happiness radiate off of the lithe form of the miko that he was both overjoyed and saddened. It was nice to see her smile and be happy…but if it was something so simple that could bring about such a reaction, which meant that she truly felt she was worth very little.

"I would love to be your daughter." She said as she hugged him once more.

As the two pulled apart and he stood, only to begin fading away, the Taiyoukai gave her one last smile, "Then call me pappa." His hand reached out to her and she opened her palm to catch a single dark blue crystal in her hand. "That is where I have stored Sesshoumaru's arm. All you have to do to extract it is focus on it…your power will take you from there."

Then, he was gone and although Kagome was alone once more, she no longer felt quite so lonely. With one more genuine smile towards the stars, the young miko from the future gathered up her things, slipped the marble shaped gem into a hidden pocket in her bag and made her way back to her friends.

Tomorrow, she planned to take her new destiny by the horns.


	9. Chapter 9

It had been two days since Kikyou had joined the group and Kagome had made her decision to let Inuyasha have her. If he could so easily replace the trust and effort Kagome had put into their relationship then he never really cared about her in the first place.

At first, that realization had stung like rubbing alcohol on a paper cut. Now –though just two days later – it didn't hurt quite so much. She wasn't numb to the pain as she had been the day Inuyasha made his choice to let Kikyou travel with them; now the pain seemed to be fading away. Of course, that void was rapidly being filled with the pain in her soul.

Damn but she _hated_ being so close to the undead priestess.

The soul that Kikyou had taken a piece of was not happy about being incomplete and that usually put a certain amount of strain on Kagome; however when the day before, the day of and the day after the new moon came around, the pain would intensify regardless of whether or not Kikyou was even within range.

The new moon was three days away and already she had the tearing sensation of her soul being forcefully torn from her body and she cringed inside when thinking about how she would even survive this time with Kikyou actually being in the same campsite. Not to mention that Inuyasha was going to be human; not that it mattered anymore anyway…he would always go to Kikyou's side.

Even when Kagome was the one that needed protecting.

Such was seemingly going to be the case today, Kagome noted ruefully. Just yesterday they had come upon a village with the rumor of a shard (or more) being used by a badger youkai towards the west. As goes the flow of things, the group set off for the western territories once more.

Naturally, being so close to Sesshoumaru's domain had put Inuyasha into a rather foul mood and he had been a slave driver since leaving the village. Unnaturally, was what Kagome had felt at hearing they would be traveling close to the west and close to Sesshoumaru. Although she really did want to see Rin again and give her the gift she had brought for the adorable child, for some reason she was also anxious to see the Taiyoukai.

Briefly, she wondered whether it was because she was ready and eager to start on this new destiny of hers…or if it was because she wanted to have time with the Demon Lord. Admittedly, it was due to both. She was tired of being used and with whatever new path lay ahead of her, she was sure it wasn't just the role of another tool.

That…and the more she thought about the apparently cold and stoic youkai, the more she wanted to see if he was really so detached. Truthfully? Now that she had been blessed with the time and the circumstances to study what she knew of the demon, she was sure there was far more that lurked beneath that icy façade he so proudly displayed to the world.

In fact, the miko _knew_ that there were far more emotions hidden in that demon's soul than anyone – maybe even said demon himself – knew about. And for once for as long as she could remember, Kagome wanted to be selfish.

She wanted to be the one to find them.

It was irrational she knew and she was fairly certain she could lose her head for daring to try and get so close to him. His arm was her trump card. She knew how proud Sesshoumaru was and she was sure he would feel indebted to her. Momentarily she had felt guilty about doing such a thing but the feeling washed away soon enough. After all, if he wanted to display his pride and honor like a flag, then it wasn't her fault if he was bound to it.

The futuristic miko had been hoping to run into the Western Lord before they had to fight the rumored demon; however Fate wasn't on her side today. _Or any other day_, she thought sardonically.

The Inu-tachi had just reached a good three miles from the village when Kagome felt the tell-tale prickle of jewel shards. She had told Inuyasha that there were three fragments heading in their general direction at a moderate pace that was swiftly picking up. The hanyou had pulled Tetsusaiga free from its scabbard, the rusted katana growing in a flash of golden light into the gleaming fang of his father.

Sango, Miroku and a battle ready Kirara had formed a protective barrier in front of Kagome and Shippou while Kikyou stood off to the side, watching the group dispassionately. A low growl came from the inu-hanyou and the fire neko as not one but two badger youkai emerged from the trees and into the meadow where they had stopped.

"Inuyasha! The larger one has two shards in its right paw and the other has one in its forehead!" Kagome yelled at the half-demon while sliding an arrow from the quiver on her back and notching it to her bow.

"I'm on it!" Said hanyou snarled as he leaped in the air, the Tetsusaiga raised high over his head. As soon as gravity started pulling him down, the hanyou braced the sword in his clawed hands and pivoted in the air slightly to aim at the larger demon. It seemed in times like these, that Inuyasha always forgot how much difference there was between normal youkai…and shard possessed youkai.

He was reacquainted with that fact as soon as he was in reaching distance of the badger. Just as he was bringing the mighty fang down to slash at the youkai, the hulking animal moved its mighty, Shikon enforced paw to grasp a hold of the Tetsusaiga and throw Inuyasha to the other edge of the clearing. The smaller of the two demons had moved in on the Taijiya and the houshi, making both the Hiraikotsu and the Kazaana virtually useless. Kagome's arrows were rendered worthless as well for the badger kept directing and trapping her friends in front of it as a shield.

Kikyou still stood by watching.

The smaller badger took one swipe at the monk, the slayer and the neko with a mighty paw and the trio was thrown away to land near the newly recovering Inuyasha. Twin roars ripped free of the demons' throats as they charged at the priestesses. Kikyou hadn't even had her bow drawn and Kagome was already turning to cover Shippou with her body as a loud growl was heard from somewhere on the other side of the demons.

"Kikyou!" Inuyasha growled, forcing his body to stand and jamming the Tetsusaiga back into its sheath. As soon as he was stable on his feet, he shot into the air and landed just to the side of the undead priestess before whisking her up in the safety of his arms and darting off to the side away from battle.

Kagome wasn't so lucky for while the smaller badger was standing confused as to where its prey had gone, the larger one was already on the miko and Kagome could feel the beasts' razor sharp talons ripping through the flesh on her back. She whimpered in the back of her throat as tears of immense pain surfaced in her eyes. _Inuyasha never cared about me._

Shippou had felt his mother wrap her body around his and already knew that something bad was going to happen. When Inuyasha's scream for the corpse had reached his ears the fox wanted to jump free of his mother's protective embrace and chew on the hanyou's ears until they were no more. The whimper of pain that came from Kagome along with the overwhelming scent of her blood and tears reached his sensitive nose and he started to panic.

"Momma?" he said softly while patting her cheek, "What is it?"

A weak and pain filled smile shone back at him though Kagome's eyes were a stormy blue-grey with intense pain. "I'll…be fine…sweetie. Can you…please…be quiet for now?"

Leaf green eyes welled with tears upon hearing the raspy sound of her once melodious voice. Her words sounded more like a death gurgle to the young fox and he clutched at the front of her kimono as tightly as he could, his tiny claws tearing small holes in the delicate silk, as he nodded his head 'yes' and cried into her chest.

Another swipe had more of the flesh from her back tearing and spilling blood down the backs of her legs and yet she couldn't scream…couldn't think…couldn't _live_ beyond anything other than making sure Shippou was unharmed. Kagome knew she was dying…she could feel several ribs crack and give way under the first assault of the demons claws and she couldn't seem to get enough air into her lungs through the pain.

She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes against the agony that flared bright and hot in her body, wracking the slender frame with tremors. The tingle of her miko powers crept over her skin in waves as if it was trying in vain to sew up the flesh and staunch the flow of blood. Vaguely, she heard Shippou still crying and the voices of Miroku and Sango screaming her name as they tried to distract the demon from causing her further harm.

All at once, Kagome felt the presence of the demon at her back disappear and the sickly sweet smell of poison drifted into her nose. Suddenly she was rolled gently to the side and then down onto her back. She was expecting intense pain from the action of her wounded flesh coming into contact with anything at all and was deeply surprised when instead she felt a strong arm holding her across the backs of her shoulders.

Gasping for breath and fighting the urge to simply faint dead away, Kagome struggled to open her eyes and when she did, she was shocked at who she saw.

"S-Sesshoumaru?" She whispered hoarsely, her throat burning from being unable to scream out her pain even as she choked and coughed. Pulling her hand away from her mouth her eyes widened at seeing the appendage coated in blood.

The morning had come bright and early for the Taiyoukais' entourage and Rin was up with the sun, ready to close the distance between her and her Kagome-chan. Sesshoumaru had told her they would reach the miko today and the child was nearly hopping on her feet in her joy. It hadn't really been all that long since the last time she had seen the older girl but Rin had already started missing her and was so anxious to give the miko her present that she could hardly contain her excitement.

The young girl had packed up camp after eating breakfast and now sat atop AhUn while waiting for Sesshoumaru to direct them. The Demon Lord stood silently, his nose raised to the air and taking in delicate sniffs, separating all the elements and looking for the smell that was only Kagome as he stretched his senses, searching for her aura. He was surprised and oddly happy to find it was coming towards him. Just as he was about to take the first step southeast, he felt her aura stop entirely.

He knew they were engaged in a battle; most likely for jewel shards.

Muscles and tendons slid and snapped as his lithe frame tensed, taking more rapid and shallow breaths of the air to pinpoint his half-brother and the miko's direction. There! He knew exactly where she was and from the scents invading her normally pleasant smell and aura, he knew he had little time to get to her.

Fortunately, he was fast.

"Jaken, Rin stay here." He said over his shoulder before taking off in a blur of silver and white, not even bothering to wait for a reply.

As he neared her position, his delicate inu nose was assaulted by the smells of battle, his half-brother's companions and the stench of badger youkai. A gentle shift in the wind brought another scent to his nose that caused an unusual – and wholly unpleasant – clenching feeling in his gut. Kagome was bleeding, badly from the amount of her blood on the air, and he could already smell the scent of death twisting nauseatingly around her normally pleasant scent.

The great Demon Lord soon found himself just at the edge of a clearing and was clearly able to see the battle and he growled low in his throat at what he saw. The monk and the slayer were trying to get a rather large looking badger demon to back away from a broken and bleeding form curled on the ground. A quick glance around the area granted him with the site of his disgrace of a sibling clutching the clay miko to his chest, seemingly unaware of the still raging battle.

Then it struck him: if Inuyasha was holding the undead priestess…where was Kagome? He raised his nose to the air once more and the overwhelming coppery tang of her blood nearly drove him to his knees. Taking another quick glance around the area, he found he didn't see the girl in question anywhere and her kit was gone as well. Bright golden eyes narrowed at the crumpled form in front of the attacking demon and as the beast made its' second slash through what looked to be a body, the aroma of Kagome's blood reached him.

He became frozen for a moment under the onslaught of rather curious – and supposedly long forgotten – feelings. He didn't want her to be hurt, he realized, though he didn't know why and just seeing that fool that shared his blood cradling something that wasn't even alive while a very real miko was already dying angered him beyond reason. He was torn in indecision; caught between killing the youkai attacking the miko or killing the whelp that was supposed to be protecting said miko.

A whimper of pain, soft and almost inaudible, did away with his uncertainty and he was out of the trees in a flurry of silver hair and white silk. Just as the brute was rearing its mighty arm back for another pass at the bloodied miko Sesshoumaru stepped between the two and effectively cut the worthless beast into chunks with a few flicks of his poisonous whip.

With an unnoticed glare to the half-breed, the Western Lord focused on Kagome and soon had her rolled over and was cradling her with his arm, supporting her slight weight with his strong arm wrapped across the backs of her shoulders. He watched with baited breath as her pale eyelids fluttered, the sooty lashes looking like dark crescent moons against her alabaster cheeks, before opening to reveal once bright sapphire eyes dulled to a slate grey with agony.

At the utterance of his name and a rather violent cough, he snapped back into reality in time to see the miko pull her hand away from her mouth, covered in blood. Hastily, she swiped the back of the same hand once more across her lips and then wiped the crimson liquid on the folds of her kimono. At first, he was confused by her actions, but when the next words tumbled from her lips, he understood.

"Shippou…is he…okay?" She queried wearily, her body already shutting down from the loss of blood. He was amazed that she was so close to dying and all she could think of was the pup she had suffered for and his well-being.

He nodded his head in answer, "He is fine. Why aren't your powers healing you?"

Her eyes clouded over a moment as a wave of pain washed over her body and she convulsed in his arms. "They're…they're trying. I'm…just too far gone…they can't…heal me fast enough."

She was crying now, tears welled in her eyes and spilled slowly down her cheeks though no sound left her throat. She didn't want to die, not yet. There was so much she had to do still! And Shippou…poor Shippou. How could she leave him all alone again? Her heart twisted in her chest at the thought of the poor little fox being left without a mother again. Kagome could only hope that Sango and Miroku would take care of him.

In a torturously slow motion, one dainty, soft hand came up and caressed the magenta stripes that graced the inuyoukai's high cheekbones and instead of flinching away or becoming angered, Sesshoumaru felt a small amount of comfort in her touch. A broken whisper rang in his ears as the warm appendage slowly left his cheek, "Thank you…for trying Sesshoumaru."

Pale eyelids slid closed over pained blue-grey eyes and the Taiyoukai could hear her heartbeat slowing in her chest. She was losing too much blood and although he could feel her miko energy striving to save her, he knew it was a losing battle. The blood flow had to be stopped if she even had a chance to live. Briefly, he entertained the idea of simply letting her pass on and then resurrecting her with the Tenseiga, however that notion was ruthlessly snuffed out when the scent of the undead priestess wafted into his nose.

If Kagome died, the abominations' soul stealers would swoop in and steal the soul before he could put his sword to use. He had to be able to see the harbingers of death before he could kill them and restore life but he knew that the Shinidamachuu would simply remove her soul from her body.

Her chest still rose and fell, albeit slowly, and her breathing was shallow and labored. It was easy for Sesshoumaru to feel her lungs rattle against his arm at her back before settling her down against his tail and standing. Her friends sat around the female in shock, none of them believing that the gentle miko could die in such a way. They were unprepared for such a thing and the grief they all felt at the impending loss of such a wonderful person was worn plainly on their faces. The kitsune was by far the worst of them; he simply curled into her hair, twisting the long ebony strands in his tiny hands and crying silent tears for the woman who meant the world to him.

Miroku caught the Demon Lord's gaze with tear-filled violet eyes, "Can you heal her? With the Tenseiga?"

The slayer's hopeful eyes turned towards him as well and for once Sesshoumaru felt guilty that he had to dash the hopes of humans. "No I cannot. The Tenseiga can merely restore a soul to a body after death. To my knowledge, it has never simply healed and the beast that ripped her open had some form of blood thinner in its claws."

Immense pain and heartbreak flooded orbs of mahogany and violet and Sesshoumaru himself even felt a sense of loss, though he wasn't sure why. For some reason, he didn't want to see Kagome die and it wasn't just because he knew she was needed to rid the Japan of the filth known as Naraku. No…he wanted her to live because…because she _deserved_ to live as much as Rin had. However, her wounds were too great and she was bleeding too badly for him to help.

Had her injuries been more minor or had she not lost so much blood, he would've sealed her flesh himself. While it was true that his saliva possessed great healing abilities, it was also extremely toxic. Normally, the amount of toxins wouldn't harm someone in his humanoid form but her wounds were so great and she was so close to gone that her body wouldn't be able to handle it.

For the first time in centuries, The Great Taiyoukai of the Western Territories felt remorse. He had stayed at the sidelines watching the young miko in his curiosity for too long without action. He knew that he most likely could've simply talked to the miko and she would have answered his questions. Instead, he let his pride get the better of him and now the enigma that was Kagome was fading before his eyes.

The amount of salt in the air rose drastically as the tiny miko's friends cried their grief. He almost felt out of place in the situation because he had never known of any one person to be loved so deeply by so many. And yet, the one that Kagome had loved deeply didn't even appear to be aware of her impending death. Lifting his troubled golden gaze from the heartbreaking scene, he focused on the hanyou and the clay miko.

While Inuyasha seemed to only be focused on Kikyou and not even truly aware of what was going on, Kikyou was watching Kagome like a hawk with a cruel smirk twisting her cold lips. That bitch was waiting for Kagome to die! The notion made him unbelievably angry and he fought the urge to stalk straight up to that worthless excuse of a being and send her straight to hell himself.

Disgusted, he removed his eyes from the pair and returned his gaze to Kagome. Watching the color drain from her perfect, creamy skin as the blood oozed out of the gashes on her back was nearly enough to make the proud youkai wretch and the scent of death that had never before even been detectable was steadily becoming more powerful. He knew she didn't have long.

Suddenly, there was a pulse at his side in time with his heartbeat and a voice sounded in his head.

_Save her._

Again, the pulse came and when Sesshoumaru looked to his left side, he saw a pale blue glow coming from the Tenseiga.

_Save her._

He wanted to growl at the voice in his head and scream out his frustrations. Damn that worthless blade! It was already preparing to restore her soul to her body and it wouldn't even matter.

_Save her._

The pulse was stronger this time, sending a tiny shockwave of power through his body from where the sword rested against his hip.

_Save Kagome._

Didn't it understand! She was lost to them all! He growled outright this time, and snapped the fang from its sheath, fully intending to throw the useless sword as far from him as he could. But once the blade was completely free of the scabbard, the blue glow grew stronger and another pulse of power sang through his body.

_Save Kagome now!_

Sesshoumaru looked at the blade somewhat incredulously, not daring to believe that he could indeed heal the miko. The insistence of the Tenseiga was strong and the longer he stood there motionless, the harder the jolts of power became. Deciding that it wouldn't hurt to at least try, he stepped closer to the grieving humans.

"Move now."

They only gave him a cursory glance before scrambling away from the Demon Lord while the kitsune remained oblivious still buried in long raven locks. He raised the gleaming fang above his head, ready to slice down across the body of the miko when a growl caused him to turn his head.

It was as if a light had been turned on inside Inuyasha's head and he looked up to see Kagome unmoving and bleeding on the ground with his bastard brother standing over her, sword drawn and raised. He jumped from his sitting position causing Kikyou to tumble harshly to the ground and glared at the monk and slayer before growling.

"What the fuck is going on here? Sango! Miroku! Why the fuck are you letting that bastard so close to Kagome?"

Sesshoumaru sent daggers of rage at the hanyou through narrowed golden eyes as the Taijiya and houshi stood from the ground and returned the glare from their friend.

"What do you care? You could have saved Kagome from even going through this! You chose to save the dead and let the living die!" Sango snarled at the shocked hanyou, her eyes glinting dangerously in her anger and pain as her hand tightened its grip on the Hiraikotsu strapped to her back.

The hanyou recoiled as if he had been slapped and his eyes darted from one friend to another and down to the lifeless form of Kagome. What had he done? He looked back at where he had been sitting and saw Kikyou standing there watching the scene play out with hard, cold eyes. The scent of dead youkai filled his senses along with the spilled blood of the young miko and his eyes went wide.

Snapping his attention back to his companions, he snarled at Sesshoumaru while stalking forward, "Leave her the fuck alone you ass!"

Just as he came upon them, Miroku slipped his hand into his robes and withdrew a sacred sutra. Chanting softly and quickly under his breath, he watched as the slip of paper glowed before slapping it onto the hanyou's forehead.

He snarled and snapped his jaws but was unable to move or speak and Miroku turned back to the Demon Lord, "Please Lord Sesshoumaru…if there is something you can do, do it. That ofuda won't hold him forever."

Not feeling even the least bit affronted about being ordered about by a human – which he only slightly wondered at – he turned his amber eyes back to Kagome and with one swift swing, brought the Tenseiga across her body.

Faintly, he could smell her blood slowing its flow and the tingle of her miko energy seemed to grow slightly stronger but she was still fading.

Another slice of the sword yielded the same results but the glow of the Tenseiga seemed to become greater.

_You can save Kagome._

Finally, after an additional three downward strokes of the life giving fang, the scent of fresh blood was no more and Sesshoumaru could hear the miko's heartbeat speed back up and the pace and depth of her breathing improved. He watched her closely as the rise and fall of her chest steadied and her eyelids fluttered. Kneeling down next to her still pale form, he lifted her from the ground slightly to check her wounds.

He was beyond pleased to note that they were all healed, though they would definitely scar, and suddenly his shoulders felt lighter. The Tenseiga hadn't proved worthless after all and he felt a certain…happiness…tingle through his body when he heard a soft groan come from the fragile body of Kagome. Leaning her back to rest on his tail once more, he watched her come into wakefulness.

Brilliant sapphire eyes slowly opened and the first thing Kagome could make out was a beautiful silver and white being leaning over her. She remembered being nearly torn in two by the youkai and was now sure she had died and gone to heaven and was now seeing an angel waiting to greet her at the ivory gates. However, that notion was trampled ruthlessly when she moved slightly and felt pain flare through her body.

As her eyes focused more on the form in front of her, Kagome was surprised to see it was Sesshoumaru. "What happened?"

The barest hint of a smile curled the Taiyoukai's pale lips, "You nearly died."

She merely nodded her head and gave him a weak smile, "I don't know how you did it, but thank you Sesshoumaru-sama."

For a reason unknown to him, Kagome's use of an honorary title with him sounded wrong but before he could contemplate the feeling further, he scooped her weary body into his arm and steadied her slight weight against his chest with his tail. The kitsune still clung to her desperately, whispering quiet declarations of love for the miko and thanks for the Demon Lord.

Walking away from the gruesome scene of an almost tragic death, Sesshoumaru called over his shoulder to the still stunned friends of Kagome, "My entourage has made camp this way."

Numbly, Miroku and Sango gathered up Kagome's pack and weaponry and followed after the Taiyoukai, not even sparing the still immobilized hanyou a second glance.


	10. Chapter 10

Shippou sat next to Kagome, holding her hand tightly between his small hands and willing her with every bone in his tiny body to wake up. After being brought back to the Taiyoukai's campsite, she had slept through the entire night and the next day. Now he waited – rather impatiently by now – for her to awaken. Shippou well knew what day it was as well as being the only person who knew what said day meant. With Kagome sleeping, she was defenseless and he was scared beyond belief that he would lose her.

Miroku and Sango sat off to the side of the clearing watching the miko and kit with heavy hearts. Seeing as how Kagome had been healed completely from the battle three days previous, she should have been awake long ago. Neither one had any clues as to why she had yet to return to the land of the waking; they were worried that maybe something hadn't gone right.

Rin had been spending time picking flowers for Kagome to keep her mind off of how upset she was. Sesshoumaru-sama had left with Jaken the night he returned with the miko to see to things at his palace and he had yet to return. Therefore, he had no knowledge on how badly Kagome was doing. Rin worried for the wonderful woman who was so kind to everyone; she wanted her to wake up and smile like she always did.

Inuyasha had yet to show himself and when Miroku had gone to see if he was still around, he found the hanyou in the same place as he had been left with the sutra holding strong. Normally, the half-demon would have been able to break through the ofuda if he struggled enough but apparently he hadn't even tried to get loose. He was also chalking his continued binding up to the fact that it was the day of the new moon and the hanyou's strength always started waning at least two days prior to his human night.

It seemed as though Kikyou had disappeared, though Shippou knew better. He could still smell her and he knew that if Lord Sesshoumaru didn't return to camp soon, Kagome would surely die. The kit started suddenly when he could detect his mother's heartbeat speeding up. Finally, she was waking up.

Kagome's eyes snapped open suddenly and she sat straight up in her sleeping bag, her face contorted in agony and a silent scream upon her lips before she crumpled back upon her bedding. Her blue-grey eyes were wide with pain and fear and the entirety of her tiny frame shuttered and trembled in distress. Shippou grabbed a hold of her hand once again and held it tightly while one small paw patted her cheek gently, "Momma…momma are you okay?"

No response came from the writhing girl except another terrible convulsion that twisted her body at awkward angles. Sango, Miroku and Rin were by her side in an instant; the adults trying to hold her down and Rin keeping a tight grip on her unoccupied hand, whispering small words of comfort into the distraught miko's ears.

"Miroku what's wrong with her?" Sango cried, tears welling in her mahogany eyes as she tried to hold Kagome's shoulders down.

The houshi shook his head as he strengthened his hold on the miko's legs, "I don't know Lady Sango. I think…I think we need Lord Sesshoumaru."

As if summoned, the pristine form of the Demon Lord swept into camp and was at the struggling miko's side in an instant. The worried eyes of his ward, the kit and the two humans regarded him mournfully as if pleading with him to help in some way.

"What is happening here?" He queried in clipped tones, his face remaining passive as always while inside he was just as worried as the rest. When he had left to return to his castle, the priestess had been sleeping peacefully and he had fully expected her to be up and smiling upon his return. However, when he had come within a mile of his campsite, he could smell strong fear in the air and could feel the ricocheting aura of Kagome.

"We don't know. She just woke up and started acting like this. I've never seen her behave this way." Miroku replied, still fighting to hold down the young woman. Even though she was rather petite in build, Kagome had always held fire and she would never go down without a fight. Apparently, the same held true in this case.

"I know what's wrong but momma made me promise not to tell," Shippou said, his voice soft and choked with tears.

Sango looked at the kit with questioning eyes, "Please Shippou! We can't help if we don't know what's wrong!"

His head tilted down so his bangs shadowed his eyes and the tears that slowly leaked from his emerald orbs. "It's Kikyou," he whispered, "every month around the new moon it gets worse. Kikyou is constantly trying to take what is left of momma's soul and the pull is always hardest now."

Horror quickly replaced the looks of worry in the eyes of the humans and even Sesshoumaru's eyes widened a fraction. Rin didn't quite understand what was going on but she could easily tell from the people around her that something was very, very wrong.

The Taiyoukai regarded the kit closely for a moment before turning his hardened gaze to the miko's companions, "Slayer, I need you to take the fire neko and go to the village you traveled through to get the miko some new clothes. Monk, put up a barrier. I don't care what kind; just make sure that the undead wench cannot continue."

Sango nodded and caught the small bag of coins that Sesshoumaru threw at her and saddled up on the already transformed Kirara. Miroku began walking around the outskirts of the clearing, chanting quickly and placing sutras around the entire area.

Looking back to the two young ones, Sesshoumaru spoke in gentle but firm tones, "You two need to go the stream nearby and fetch some water." Both nodded without hesitation and – after retrieving some bottles from Kagome's pack – were taking off in the direction of water, Shippou taking the lead.

Sesshoumaru sat down next to the thrashing miko and plucked her from the ground with his arm and tail to situate her in his lap. Once she was in place, he secured her form with his tail and slowly rubbed circles into her back. "Kagome you need to fight this. The houshi is setting up a barrier."

Pained sapphire orbs opened and Kagome tilted her head back to look at the Demon Lord. "It…it hurts…Kami it hurts!"

Inside the stoic Taiyoukai, a war was raging. So many emotions were generated simply due to the tiny miko in his lap and the only ones that were recognizable were pure rage and sorrow. If he had wanted to end that wretched creature's miserable life before, the feeling was at least double now. Hadn't she caused enough trouble in the previous battle?

Looking into those agony ridden eyes, Sesshoumaru felt his heart twist. Kagome had been through quite a lot that he knew of and just the thought that his younger sibling would stand by and even let that corpse within range of Kagome made him see red. Could the whelp not even realize how much power and love was held within the small frame of the futuristic miko? How could he so easily throw her away for that vile representation of a priestess?

The soft rustle of cloth next to him brought him out of his internal war and he turned his regal head slightly to the side to regard the now seated houshi. "Is it done?"

Miroku nodded his head, "Yes. I have it set up so that no one wishing to do anyone within the barrier harm will be allowed entrance. It should stop whatever it is that Kikyou is doing."

A curt nod from the silver-haired Demon Lord was his cue and Miroku closed his eyes for a brief moment. There was a slight tingle in the air before a barely audible 'pop' was made as the barrier came down around the clearing and Miroku stood and walked to the middle of camp to restock the fire. The reaction from the miko was immediate as she slumped tiredly against Sesshoumaru's chest. The ministrations to her back never slowed and soon her breathing and heart rate were back to normal.

Kagome lifted her head up tiredly and looked at Sesshoumaru for a long moment as if trying to gain a handle on everything. Soon, her eyes widened, a blush burst across her cheeks and she made a squeak of surprise and embarrassment before burying her head against the Demon Lord's solid chest. "Lord Sesshoumaru I am so, _so_ sorry for the trouble I've caused."

She jumped slightly when she felt his warm, claw-tipped fingers grasping her chin gently and turning her face up to look at his. Expecting his eyes to look like amber ice chips, she was rather shocked to see them nearly glowing, looking like warm honey. "There is nothing for you to be sorry for. Inuyasha is a disgrace to my father's blood and since you are part of his pack, you are part of mine." His voice was soft and – dare she say – tender? He sounded understanding and compassionate; so not like the stoic Taiyoukai she had come to know.

Although she had always been sure there was far more to him than met the eye, she hadn't really expected to ever see it. There was a reason, she knew, as to why he kept his emotions locked away with an iron will and it made her feel special somehow to be able to see another side of him. His liquid golden eyes were still locked with her midnight orbs and the sheer intensity of his gaze was enough to melt her insides.

As she sat there completely entranced at the marvelous change in his eyes alone, a very peculiar thing happened. It was as if someone was super-imposing a picture of Sugimi over Sesshoumaru; two magenta stripes became one indigo stripe, the crescent moon faded and the lips titled into a warm smile. Blinking several times only served to do away with the haunting – and somehow comforting – image; however it left behind some very unusual feelings in its wake.

The warmth from his hard body against hers soaked in through her skin and gravitated towards her soul before spreading outward and wrapping around her. Twin suns of burnished gold seemed to glow against alabaster skin and Kagome felt as though she was drowning in their intensity. His strong hand was rubbing patterns against her back and his tail was wrapped tightly around her, lending her body the warmth it seemed to be starving for.

She was completely exhausted and wanted to simply sleep her life away but she knew she needed a bath and she briefly wondered how the Taiyoukai was even able to stand being around her, let alone holding her in his lap. A roar in the distance startled her back into reality and she turned her head away, a warm rosy blush tinting her cheeks. "Lord Sesshoumaru, forgive me for staring at you."

Inwardly, he smirked. The color that had flooded her cheeks gave her an adorable quality that he found endearing. He was pleased that he had such an effect on her and decided to toy with her a bit.

"Only if you forgive me for doing the same to you," he whispered against the soft shell of her ear, his voice dipping low and taking on a husky quality he hadn't planned. In order for his words to only be met by her ears, he had to lean into her. Leaning into her had caused her delightful scent to waft gently into his nose and it did unspeakable things to his body.

Somehow, she had still gotten the better of him.

Kagome made a sound suspiciously like a squeak in the back of her throat before she pushed against his chest and slid from his grasp onto the ground. Chancing a sidelong glance at Sesshoumaru, she saw mirth flicker in his eyes and the corners of his lips twitched. He had done that on purpose!

Tearing her gaze away from the Demon Lord, Kagome tilted her head towards Kirara and watched Sango slide off the neko's back. As soon as their eyes met, Sango ran towards the miko and dropped to her knees in front of the woman, grabbing her up in a bone crushing hug.

"Thank Kami!" The taijiya cried into the younger woman's hair, "I thought we were going to lose you!"

The miko hugged her friend back just as tightly, tears gathering in her eyes. Even if Inuyasha never would love her – never _had_ loved her – her friends still did. "I didn't think I would make it this time."

Sango tore out of the embrace, holding Kagome at arms length and glaring at her, "Why in Kami-sama's name didn't you tell us that this sort of thing happened!"

Miroku sat down next to the two women and pinned his violet-eyed gaze on the miko. "Yes Kagome-sama…why did you never mention it? How long has this been going on?"

A light blush stole across her cheeks and she averted her gaze. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "It's just…there was always so many more important things. The Shikon shards and Naraku…and Kikyou was never really around during the hardest times so I thought it better to keep it to myself."

Placing a comforting hand on Kagome's shoulder, Miroku looked at her with warm eyes, "But you are our dearest friend Lady Kagome. If we had known we would have been more on our guard."

Lifting her eyes from the ground, she met the steady gaze of the houshi. "I know Miroku…but it's my battle. I have her soul and she wants it back; it's been happening since she was resurrected. I've never been hurt so badly and in such close proximity to her at the same time so I wasn't worried about it. Even after…even after Inuyasha invited her to travel with us…I wasn't planning on telling anyone."

Shippou jumped into her lap and cuddled against her stomach, the smell of her blood still making him slightly nauseous. "But momma…we all could have helped. Maybe if you had told Inuyasha he wouldn't have invited her along."

"Told me what?" A gruff voice sounded from just inside the barrier.

All eyes turned towards the red-clad figure, wide with incomprehension, worry and anger. It was Sango who chose to inform the dense hanyou. Jumping up from her sitting position in fluid grace, she snapped Hiraikotsu from her back and brandished it at the half-demon, her mahogany eyes blazing in righteous anger.

"You selfish, arrogant, prickish bastard! Ever since your miko bitch was brought back to this world she has been trying to steal Kagome's soul! If she would've have died from that attack by the badger, Kikyou wouldn't have hesitated to steal her soul away! The only reason Kagome is even alive right now is because of Lord Sesshoumaru!"

The slayer's eyes were sparking dangerously and her chest heaved with the force of her rage. How could he be so damned dense? How was it even possible that he and Sesshoumaru were related?

The hanyou's golden eyes flashed angrily and he stared down the Taijiya. "Kikyou isn't a bitch and it was her soul first! If you think I'll believe that my cold-hearted bastard brother would have revived that wench just because he wanted to then you are just another stupid human!"

Miroku stood from the ground slowly, walking to stand next to Sango and completely obstructing the hanyou's view of Kagome. "He might seem cold-hearted to every single being on this Earth Inuyasha but he has more honor in his claw than you seem to have in your entire body. I have stood behind you through your confusion between Kikyou and Kagome-sama because I knew that your heart was torn. However, throwing away Kagome's life to 'save' someone who is no longer even living is the lowest thing you have ever done."

"Fuck you monk! What the hell do you know about it anyway! You are the biggest pervert I have ever known and you want to lecture _me_ about women? Now, move your sorry asses. There are shards to find and I am _not_ waiting around here anymore." Inuyasha snarled, glaring daggers at everyone present.

Kagome seethed, "Inuyasha, sit boy!'

Standing shakily from the ground, Kagome walked to Miroku and put a small hand on his shoulder. "Miroku-sama? I need your help. I have to take a bath and there is no way I can leave this barrier until my strength returns."

For once, no hentai thoughts were present in his mind. The monk knew the time and place for such things and this situation was neither at the moment. Turning his gaze to the still pale priestess, he nodded, "Very well Kagome-sama. You know I can make a barrier with my staff and I can walk with you to the nearest water source. Before I take you there, I will go and erect a barrier around the area so you are safe when you bathe."

He looked at the Demon Lord and questioned, "Lord Sesshoumaru is there perhaps a hot spring nearby? I am sure it would do much more for Kagome-sama's wellbeing than a cold stream." The Taiyoukai gave a slight nod of his head and pointed off to the west. "Thank you Sesshoumaru-sama." That said, he turned and left the clearing, hearing the half-dog demon rant as he walked away.

Jumping up from the ground once the subduing spell weakened, Inuyasha growled "You're not going anywhere wench! Especially not to take a bath with that lecher around! Just put some clean clothes on…Kikyou is waiting for us."

If it were possible, Kagome thought she saw steam leave Sango's ears. Her face grew red with the force of her rage and she snarled at the half-demon, "Baka! You want her to go around that clay doll _now_? When she is trying to steal her soul!"

Inuyasha returned the glare and the snarl, "Kikyou wouldn't do something like that stupid!"

Finally, Kagome had taken all she could take and she was going to put a stop to this once and for all so she could take her bath. "Really Inuyasha?" Kagome spoke softly, startling the two verbally sparring. Looking straight into his eyes for a moment in time, she walked straight for the edge of the barrier. She heard the sharp gasps from Sango, Shippou and Rin and she could feel Sesshoumaru's eyes on her back. It didn't matter…she had to do this.

Without slowing or even looking back at the hanyou, she walked right through the sparkling blue barrier…

…and stood stock still for a frozen moment in time before crumbling to the forest floor in agony.

The slayer wasted no time in darting across the small expanse of meadow and through the barrier. Once she was by the miko's side, she bent down and lifted an arm across her shoulders and settled her own arm around the younger woman's waist. Standing up, she sidled Kagome against her side and brought her back inside the safety of the houshi's barrier.

Leading her to her sleeping bag, she lowered her body and set Kagome down gently before whirling on the hanyou. His golden eyes were wide with shock and his mouth hung slightly open. "Did you see that? Do you understand now? If she tries to leave this area right now without any protection she'll die…do you really hate her so much that you would force her to leave the only thing that keeps her soul in her body?"

Golden eyes blinked several times before settling on a glare as his mouth snapped shut. His gaze flitted between a still recovering Kagome and an angry as hell Sango. "Fine!"

Miroku returned just then to see the woman who held his heart and the companion he was growing to feel distaste for glaring daggers at one another and Kagome trembling slightly on her bedding. Choosing to bypass the heated staring session for now, he made a beeline for the pale-faced miko and knelt down next to her.

"Kagome-sama?" He said softly as he touched her shoulder, "Are you alright?"

Taking a deep, shuddering breath she looked up into the monk's worried violet eyes, "I'll be fine Miroku. How about that bath? I can even smell the blood all over me."

Giving her a grin and a slight bow, he said with a twinkle in his eyes, "Of course my beautiful lady! Right this way!"

Kagome returned the grin with one of her own and a sparkle of gratitude in her eyes as she accepted the offered hand up. Despite his lecherous tendencies, Miroku always knew how to diffuse a situation and make her feel better. Once she was standing and stable, she walked to Sango and placed a hand on her arm.

Blazing mahogany eyes turned towards her and softened at seeing her friend. "Sango-chan would you mind going to the hot springs with Shippou while I gather my things?"

Although she wasn't nearly ready to give up her point to the half-demon Sango could see the weariness in her sister's eyes and knew she had to concede. It would do Kagome no good to see her best friend and first love tear one another to shreds and although she was sure she could inflict some serious damage on Inuyasha before he did her in, she really liked her head attached to her body.

She nodded her head in answer and walked to Kirara to scoop her up from the ground and place her on her shoulder.

Kagome had just turned from her friend to gather up her clothes and bathing necessities when she felt a gentle tug on the sleeve of her tattered kimono. Looking down, she was met with sparkling sable eyes and a wide, gap-toothed grin. "Kagome-chan I have a present for you!"

Smiling at the beautiful child, Kagome knelt down in front of her and pulled her backpack to her side. "Really Rin-chan? Because I have a present for you too."

Pure joy danced in the little girls' eyes and she giggled happily, "Really? Can I see?"

Nodding her head, Kagome opened up her bag and dug through it for a moment before letting a small cry of triumph leave her lips. "Ah-ha! Here you go Rin!"

Brown eyes widened and her smile got even bigger as Rin reached out and tentatively took a hold of a beautiful doll. It had black hair and brown eyes just like her and it even wore a pretty little kimono. Clutching the toy to her chest with one hand – as the other was behind her back – she gave Kagome the happiest smile she could. "Thank you so much Kagome! It is beautiful. Here is your present."

Now, it was the miko's turn to have her eyes widen…only her face registered utter shock. In Rin's small, dainty hand was a beautiful bow made of white oak and laminated front and back with bamboo. There was an accompanying quiver of arrows that were just as beautiful as the bow and Kagome wondered where the little girl could get such a thing. She knew from her time how much money such a bow was worth – both in her era and the feudal one – and she briefly thought about declining taking it.

However, that idea was thoroughly trampled at the waiting look on Rin's face. How could she turn down such a wonderful gift from such a wonderful little girl? The answer was simple: she couldn't. So, Kagome gave the young female a brilliant smile and pulled her into a hug.

"It is just lovely Rin! Where did you ever find such a wonderfully crafted bow?" Kagome gushed as tears of happiness gathered in the corners of her eyes. How long had it been since someone had given her something – anything – just because they thought she would like it? She couldn't even remember. Sure, her mom always made sure the necessities were stocked at home so she could load her backpack and that was great…but…it never made her feel special. Oh she knew she was thought of, obviously, but special? Not really; that is, not until Sesshoumaru and Rin had come around.

Shaking her head to relieve her mind of that train of thought, Kagome gives the bundle in her arms another squeeze and places a sweet kiss on her forehead as she pulls away. Rin looked up at her with her heart in her eyes, obviously happy that she had made the miko smile. "I got it from Sesshoumaru-sama's ar-armory? …yes that's it. From the armory." She leaned into the priestess, her lips stopping a breath away from her ear, "Sesshoumaru-sama said it would be perfect for you and I agreed."

A small gasp escaped her lips and she looked wide-eyed at the pretty little girl who merely smiled and bounced away. Her eyes followed the little form as she ran to said Demon Lord and then widened even more when she noticed he was watching her, a small smirk tilting chiseled lips. Warmth rose high on her cheeks and she bit her lip. Forcefully, she stuffed the rest of her belongings into her backpack and walked off to get that bath.


	11. Chapter 11

As Kagome sat in the hot springs soaking, her mind wandered to the jewel secured in her backpack. Although she was whole-heartedly in accordance with returning Sesshoumaru's arm, she was completely and utterly lost on how to go about it.

"_Hey Sesshoumaru listen. I got your arm in my backpack…want to see if I know how to put it back where it belongs?"_

Right.

Letting a sigh escape her lips, the miko raised a foot up out of the water and regarded her wrinkly toes. Now that her skin was properly sodden, she supposed it was time to shave and get back to her friends. Her strength was back to its normal level after some quality meditation in the springs and she was happy she wouldn't have to rely on Miroku for a barrier. She didn't know how long she could hold one on her own but guessed she would just have to find out.

Inuyasha wouldn't wait forever.

In fact, Kagome wasn't even sure she could walk and hold a barrier at the same time. Sure she could throw up flawless barriers when she was sitting by herself in the middle of a forest…but anything other than that had yet to be tested. In the battle with the badgers, she hadn't wanted to try it because she didn't want to take the chance of harming Shippou, should her powers choose to be fickle. After the first hit she had taken, she knew it wouldn't have been possible to hold a barrier even if she had been able to erect it because her miko energy was fighting so hard to keep her alive.

As was the way of Kagome, she decided to jump that hurdle when she came to it, although she silently promised herself that Sesshoumaru would have his other arm in fully functioning order before they parted ways. Giving herself a mental shake, the young miko stood from the water and proceeded with finishing her bathing.

_What in all the worlds possessed me to…**play**…with that miko? I am the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands. No female has ever enticed me to act so out of character, especially a ningen female! She is just another human…_

Of course, Sesshoumaru knew that she was no ordinary human – and still had misgivings that she even was human – but that didn't really make him feel any better. Not that he hated humans – although he was rather content with the rumors saying otherwise – it just wasn't possible for him to want anything seriously to do with one…with the exception of Rin. He was his father's child but he was not his father.

It didn't really help his resolve much that some part of him was perfectly okay with the idea of following his fathers' footsteps. Kagome was an exceptional female in every aspect and he knew she would do him proud as a mate. He shook his head as if to throw the thoughts away as he leaned his head back against the tree he was sitting at.

Truth be told, he had no idea really how he felt about Kagome or what she was to him. She was an enigma, a curiosity, an interesting puzzle that he felt inclined to learn more about. He remembered something the miko had said once, to the effect of 'Curiosity killed the cat.'

He shuddered at the thought that he could even be likened to a mangy feline.

For some reason or another, Sesshoumaru had been gifted – or cursed – with an alarmingly active sense of curiosity. His father had once said he maybe should have been born a kitsune instead of an inu.

Though the reaction to that bit of wisdom wasn't nearly as severe as the one prompted by the idea of being a cat, he still really didn't relish the idea of being a fox.

_Unless it's that kit…it might not be so bad to curl up next to…_

That thought was ruthlessly torn apart and swept under the proverbial rug. Kami, was he losing his mind? Although he wouldn't lie to himself and say that Kagome meant nothing, neither would he admit that she did. He conveniently ignored the reason for that being that he simply didn't know what she did mean.

At this point in time, he didn't want to analyze it too closely either. For if he delved that far into his thoughts and the emotions that were rapidly unthawing in his heart, he was almost sure he would find that she meant far more to him than he wanted to know of right now. He didn't want her to be taken as his weakness.

Naraku was a cowardly, vile piece of work that held no qualms whatsoever of using those others cared for against them. He had kidnapped Rin once already and Sesshoumaru had been thankful that Naraku hadn't thought to guard her better. Kagome seemed to have the talent of getting kidnapped and she had already once been taken by the hanyou's minions.

He knew that if the bastard was aware the miko meant more to him than a tentative ally he would try ruthlessly to use her against him. It was a risk he wasn't sure he wanted to take. For ages he had believed that emotions were a weakness and only recently had he started to maybe think otherwise. From watching the interplay of his half-brother's group he had come to the rather startling conclusion that emotions and feelings could be used as a strength as well.

Kagome, _of course_ he added wryly, had been the one that opened his eyes to such a thing. He had noticed over time that she seemed to fight harder and shine brighter when her friends – Kami forbid her kit – were in danger. Clearly he remembered more than a time or two when Inuyasha had been mean to the little fox…and while Sesshoumaru feared nothing, he really, _really_ didn't want to be the target of that particular female's anger.

Though, when her ire was raised it always proved to be quite a site.

Her entire personality and demeanor would warp completely into something he couldn't recall ever seeing before. She went from soft, sweet and warm to rigid, indignant and hot. Her midnight eyes would light up to an electric blue and her ki would snap and spark around her tiny frame.

Sesshoumaru was positive that were it possible for looks alone to kill, he would have long ago been short a sibling.

Elf-like ears twitched slightly at the sound of footsteps and the Demon Lord's muscles automatically tensed for action. Soon, the scents of Rin, the kit, the slayer and the monk entered his nose and he relaxed. The children were the first to break through the trees and Rin ran over to him for her customary squeeze on his person to which he replied with an affectionate pat on her head. The fox stayed back a few paces and waited for her to finish before they darted to Kagome's sleeping bag to drag out something the kit called a 'coloring book' and 'crayons'.

The houshi and taijiya were speaking quietly but his demonic hearing had no trouble making out the words.

"I'm telling you baka houshi,' the young female fairly growled, "That Kagome shouldn't be by herself out there! I don't care if she said that she is within yelling distance; it would only take one imperfection in that barrier or one of that bitch's dirty tactics to break the barrier and Kagome could die!"

Placing a placating hand on Sango's shoulder, Miroku spoke softly, "I know Lady Sango but Kagome needs this time to herself. She plans to meditate I am sure and that will help restore her strength. I will be able to tell if something goes wrong with the barrier. Trust me…trust her. She isn't in a hurry to die regardless of how bad she gets treated."

Sesshoumaru agreed with the taijiya and the houshi. Apparently though, the both of them had forgotten that Kagome can hardly even breathe when she is attacked in such a way which would make her promise of calling for help meaningless. He stood from the ground in fluid grace and walked off into the forest. His direction wasn't in the exact location of the springs but rather a roundabout way to the general area. Even if the miko wanted to be alone – which he could understand – there was still the very real chance that Kikyou would try her hand again.

Saving the young woman from death twice only to have her killed in a moment without being watched over did not sit well with the Taiyoukai.

As he walked quietly through the brush and trees, Sesshoumaru's mind went right back to the train of thought he had been on before the children and humans showed up. He wasn't sure if he was pleased or not about that but he figured that since he had the time he might as well try and sort something out. His body mechanically took over propelling him through the foliage as his mind milled about the thought at hand.

Kagome.

How in the entire world was it possible for one small female to twist herself around him so effectively without really doing anything?

It confused the great inu and if there was one thing Sesshoumaru didn't like it was being confused.

Really there were only so many actions he could take considering the problem at hand. Unfortunately, the most logical and effective one was the one he found himself disliking the most…despite the fact that at one point in time, he would have done it without hesitation.

Simply put, he could completely revert back to the way he acted years before. He could leave the region entirely and only show up once in a great while to fight Inuyasha for the Tetsusaiga, act cruelly and coldly to everyone he came across and therefore, stub any possible ideas Naraku could get that he had changed.

He could continue making short visits to the group under the guise of letting Rin see Shippou and Kagome, therefore satiating his desire to see the miko himself and keeping Rin happy. That would leave Naraku with more than enough rope to hang Sesshoumaru with.

Then there was the option of staying as a personal member of the group. Of course, he would have to use the excuse that it was to hunt down Naraku but he really doubted he would be able to be cold and cruel to Kagome if he was actually around her that often.

She made him want to do really strange things.

Take now for example. He was striding without purpose through a tangled web of forest to keep an eye out for an undead miko who was trying to steal the soul of a very alive miko and he realized that he had been growling since the first mention of the name Naraku.

Or was it the mention of Kikyou that had him so riled?

He stopped in his steps when the scent of graveyard soil and death tickled his nose and it seemed as though the wench had just visited his brother for he could clearly smell Inuyasha's scent with her own. Quite an offensive odor. The wind shifted then, thankfully, and brought to him the sweet aroma of Kagome. Her pleasant scent calmed him even from a distance and he decided to change direction to walk closer to where she was. If the dead miko was within range of his sense of smell she was too close, in his opinion.

Within moments, Sesshoumaru was just outside the area of the springs and he moved to the treetops. Finding a rather tall tree, he settled on a sturdy branch and crept along it silently. The gentle sound of the miko humming caressed his sensitive ears and he fought the urge to smile at her antics. As he finally broke free of the heavy foliage, the Demon Lord turned his gaze down towards the water, expecting Kagome to either be still within the springs or dressed and meditating.

What he found was neither and the site that greeted his golden gaze had a rather damaging impact on his self control.

The miko had apparently just stepped from the steaming water and was standing on the soft moss that surrounded the springs. As she wrung out the lengths of her hair, crystalline beads of water slid down her delicate neck to caress her shoulders and slide down the valley of her breasts before slipping down the length of her long, elegant legs. She looked like a water nymph standing there bathed in sunlight and naked as the day she was born and Sesshoumaru felt his pants tighten.

His mouth became suspiciously dry at the site and he had to wonder if the female had any clue how enticing she was. Her arm stretched out to a nearby rock to grasp a towel and she promptly wrapped her hair up in it before grabbing the second towel and running it up and down the length of her body, gathering the water droplets to leave only slightly damp skin behind. She closed her eyes and tilted her head backwards, a smile tugging at her soft lips as she did so, and let the sun bathe her body. After a few long moments - in which Sesshoumaru's control was tested to its limits – she lifted her head and grabbed up a kimono.

Although he had never really watched a female dress, the Taiyoukai was certain it wasn't meant to be an erotic thing. However, the way the silk slid over her creamy skin and her dainty hands wrapped it around her body only served to arouse him further. His beast was growling and purring with appreciation and impatience and Sesshoumaru had to tighten the reigns on his inu blood. If he let his blood beast free, he would surely find the miko as his mate and while the thought didn't really surprise him, he knew that if his rational mind ever decided to take such a step, he wanted to be in control.

Being denied caused his inner inu to whimper sorrowfully before relinquishing control and the Demon Lord could only let out a mental sigh of relief. His attention turned back to Kagome and he found her staring at her reflection for a time before slapping at the water. It was a gesture he realized she made because she thought she looked badly and when she stood from the ground with sad eyes, his thought was confirmed. Although he knew what such an action meant, he didn't understand it. She was a vision dressed as she was; she looked the part of royalty easily and Sesshoumaru found himself unconsciously changing the stars on her kimono to moons…like the one on his forehead.

She walked to her giant yellow bag and gathered everything she had taken out. After she had replaced her bathing items, she pulled something else out from the depths of the pack. Whatever the object was, it was small enough to fit in her hands and he watched transfixed as she encased it within her tiny palms, closed her eyes and started to pray.

Finishing her bath in haste, Kagome was soon out of the water and drying off. The sun was shining merrily and she couldn't help taking a few minutes to bask in its warmth before dressing. Once the kimono was secured properly with the obi, the miko walked to the waters edge to check her reflection. The silken garment was a beautiful one and Kagome wondered wear Sango had come up with the money to buy it. It was a gorgeous shade of sapphire across her shoulders that faded through lighter and lighter shades of blue and into silver. Tiny silver stars adorned the darker colors of blue and a beautiful silver obi wrapped around her waist.

Her eyes done roaming the beautiful garment that adorned her body, she turned her gaze to her face. As everything came sharply into focus, Kagome watched her warm blue eyes turn cold and brown. Her soft lips lost their gentle smile only to form into an icy scowl. Wet and wavy ebony hair straightened entirely and lost the blue tint and shine. _Have I been compared to her so long that I can't even see myself anymore?_ She bit her lip angrily as tears of pain and sorrow threatened to swarm her cheeks. She wasn't her; Kagome was not Kikyou. She wasn't and damn Inuyasha to the ninth layer of hell for making her doubt herself.

Slapping at the water violently sufficiently cleared the image and she stood to walk back to her bag. As she gathered up her things, the presence she had sensed long ago shifted slightly and she felt a very familiar signature of youki. Knowing now that it was Sesshoumaru, the actions the presence had taken made more sense. While she had been meditating she had become aware of Kikyou slinking about the forest on the other side of the barrier and shortly after had sensed another aura. Now that she knew for sure it was the Taiyoukai, she assumed he had chosen to take a walk and had felt the undead miko's aura as well.

His presence brought a sense of safety to the young miko and she briefly wondered when she had lost her mind. Although he had saved her – twice in all actuality – he was still the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands who had attempted to turn her into a puddle of goo with his Dokkasou at their first meeting. Yet…when she had looked into his eyes as he held her through her pain just this morning there had been something there. An emotion or a feeling had shone through some invisible crack in his prefect mask. Although it was there and gone faster than she could blink it had still been there.

She felt safe around him and the feeling was so longed for by the young miko that she didn't really care who he was.

A memory from earlier in the day came back her then in a flash. It had been so odd to see a vision of his father overlap his. At first she had brushed it off as a hallucination induced by her agony. Now she wasn't so sure. Kagome felt the same sense of safety in the arms of Sesshoumaru as she had Sugimi. Maybe she had seen such a strange thing simply to force her to realize it? She didn't know and as stated before she didn't care. Both occasions were fleeting things and she would simply hold on to the memories for as long as she could.

As the rest of her things went into her bag, her hands went to the pocket hidden inside and withdrew the jewel Sugimi had given her. As her mind drifted to the question of how to restore it, she came up with an idea. Closing her eyes and clasping the jewel tightly, she prayed. Forming all of her focus onto her healing powers and Sesshoumaru, she prayed and felt her energy flow into the gem. Slowly she opened her eyes and found the tiny sphere to be glowing an electric blue and she smiled. Shrugging her backpack on to settle on her shoulders, Kagome looked straight into the forest where she knew the Demon Lord to be and smiled softly before placing the jewel on the rock where her bag had just been.

Without another thought, she turned on her heel and walked swiftly away.


End file.
